Magic
by DaylightButterfly
Summary: Love isn't magic, or so they say. Hogwarts AU.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello! This is a Hogwarts AU for Girl Meets World, with Lucaya being the main pairing. Riley may or may not be shipped later on in the story, and I am open to suggestions for her. Any constructive critism or comments are much appreciated, and I hope you enjoy reading Magic!**

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The arrival of the letter was the last thing that under-the-radar Maya Penelope Hart expected on a Wednesday afternoon. She had been home alone when it glided in through her letter slot, and the fancy green ink and crisp parchment paper instantly told her it was something special. How special, well, opening it had given that away.

 _Dear Ms. Hart,_

 _We would like to welcome you to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

It was her ticket to freedom. It was an opportunity out of her broken mess of a home life with half a mom and a father who'd abandoned her, and there was no way in hell she was going to miss it.

* * *

With only a ratty suitcase, the clothes on her back, and thirty dollars in her pocket, she was left on her own. Her mom had told her to write often and to simply ask if she ever needed anything, but Maya knew that she was never looking back. She had magic in her blood. Even at only eleven years old, she didn't need a family that had never been there for her before.

However, she did need a lot of school supplies (none of which she'd ever heard of in her life). And she also had no idea where this mysterious "Diagon Alley" (a supposed shopping place) her letter had mentioned was. Great.

"Lost?"

Maya whipped her head around to see a tall brunette girl of about her age standing a few feet away. She was wearing a sunshine yellow dress and had her hair braided down her back, giving her an elegant appearance. But any attempt at elegance was ruined by the way she kept bouncing up and down, as if too excited for her own good. Maya gave her a wary glance.

"I'm Riley Matthews, and you look like you could use some help!"

Did she really look that lost? Maya hefted her suitcase and was about to walk away when the girl called out to her again.

"Where are you going? Hey!" Maya kept on walking, but was soon stopped by a hand on her shoulder. "Riley" was standing behind her, looking almost hurt. Maya knew she shouldn't (after all, Riley was a stranger), but somehow seeing the brunette sad made her feel almost bad about walking away. She silently berated herself.

"Look, uh, Riley, we're total strangers and have never met before. Why are you talking to me?" The annoyed look Maya gave her should have been enough to drive Ms. Sunshine and Rainbows away, but the girl just looked happier.

"Yay, you spoke to me! And to answer your question, I love making new friends, and you look like a good friend! And I bet you could use a good friend like me! Let's be friends! Oh man, I've barely been in London for five minutes and I already have a friend! What's your name?"

Riley talked at a mile a minute, and Maya was left overwhelmed by her sheer energy level. But there was something about the girl, maybe the way she just radiated innocence or the sparkle in her eye, that earned her Maya's liking. Besides, the blonde would probably never see Riley again after this one encounter. What was the harm in pretending friendship for a little bit?

"I'm Maya Hart. Pleased to meet you." Maya stuck out her hand, which Riley completely ignored in favor of a glomping hug. Maya should have known.

"Hi Maya! As I've already said before, I'm Riley, and this is my very first time in London! I bet it's yours too, isn't it? It has to be, you have this I'm-lost-but-totally-amazed-and-overwhelmed-and-excited-but-kind-of-nervous-at-the-same-time look about you. Anyways, what are you here for?"

Maya could barely process what came out of Riley's mouth. She was the exact opposite of everything Maya was and respected, yet, somehow, Maya found herself attracted to the perpetually happy aura that surrounded the brunette. But the walls Maya had spent her entire life building did not fall down with first impressions alone.

"I'm here to attend a boarding school. You probably haven't heard of it." Maya decided that was a safe enough reply. Riley definitely wouldn't have heard of Hogwarts, if Maya's acceptance letter was anything to go by. Riley was probably what the letter had called a Muggle, a normal human being, and completely oblivious to the existence of the magical world. The thought of such a bubbly, most-likely-klutzy girl even attempting magic almost brought a smile to Maya's face.

"Really?" Riley looked surprised. "I'm attending a boarding school too. It's super special, and I don't think you've heard of it either." Huh. Coincidence much?

"Riley! Let's go! And stop bothering that poor girl. We have a lot of shopping to do before you board your train for school, and I don't want to be late." A middle aged woman was shouting at Riley from the other side of the room, probably her mom, and Maya instantly felt a pang of jealousy in her stomach. Standing with the woman was a man with curly hair and a face like Riley's, and a little boy was holding his hand, looking impatient. A family. Something Maya hoped Riley knew just how blessed she was to have.

Riley held a finger up at them in the "wait a minute" signal, and turned back to Maya.

"Where are you going, Maya? If we're going to the same place, you can just come with my family!" Maya almost laughed. Riley would never have survived even a day on the streets where Maya grew up. She was too innocent, and too trusting, and Maya wondered if that was how she would have turned out had her father not left and her mother not had to work day and night to pay the bills. Maya shook her head. The sooner she parted with and forgot about Riley, the sooner she could get on with her life. After all, she had a _long_ to-do list.

"I'm sure we aren't heading to the same place. I hope I'll see you around sometime, Riley. It was nice meeting you." Maya flashed a quick smile at the girl and then turned and walked away, more surprised by the fact that she had meant what she'd said than the fact that an almost stranger had offered for her to travel with her family. Seeing Riley again wouldn't actually be so bad. But Maya forced the thought out of her head before it could start taking root. After all, hope, even for the tiniest of things, was for suckers. And Maya Hart did not consider herself a sucker.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This story has been incredibly easy to write so far (two chapters in two days ;D), and I hope you guys like it as much as I liked writing it. Without further ado, Chapter 2!**

* * *

When she'd been told that magic was real, she was expecting the cliché sparkles and unicorns and brightly colored, babbly magicians with outrageous hairstyles and cool pets. She was NOT expecting it to be so...normal.

The people— ehem, _witches and wizards_ —crowding the streets of Diagon Alley all wore dark colored, flowing robes, but other than that they seemed like average shoppers. Most were immersed in conversation with one another, and paying little to no attention to the going-ons around them. The hustle bustle nearly matched that of Maya's hometown of New York, and she almost felt at home among the maze of stores and alleys.

That is, until she spotted the cloaked figure of what appeared to be a small goblin sidle past her. And the boys on the street over floating a few feet off the ground on broomsticks (of all things) in front of a, well, what appeared to be a broomstick shop. Not to mention the mysterious cawing and screeching coming from the brightly displayed...was that a pet shop?...by where she was standing. Maybe not so normal. Still, anything beat the torn up neighborhood where she grew up, and Maya was not complaining. She did want to complain, however, about how sore her feet were.

It was now nine o'clock AM, and Maya had arrived in London at six thirty that morning. It had taken her that long just to find the stupid wizard shopping district, and she had not been in the most pleasant of moods on the journey. She'd stopped nearly ten people on the streets outside the airport, asking for directions, before realizing that, of course, they were Muggles, and wouldn't know a thing about the whereabouts of Diagon Alley, a wizard hangout. After that, the only thing she really could do was wander around London, poking down mysterious alleyways and such to see if she could spot any magic folk (not that she knew what they looked like). At eight thirty, she'd spent five of her precious dollars, converted into pounds (the English currency), at a small café for breakfast. She'd finally lucked out there, overhearing a conversation between the family in the booth over and realizing that they were talking about the very place she needed to go— Diagon Alley. Thirty arduous minutes of chasing after them later, Maya was finally where she needed to be.

But she still had no idea what to do now that she'd arrived. Maya was fairly certain that wizards would not be using pounds or dollars to purchase their wares, and she wasn't sure if there was some magical ATM around for her to convert what little money she had.

"MAYA!? Oh my god, is that really you?!" Maya whipped around at the sound of the voice, strangely familiar, and was greeted by long brown hair and a dazzling smile. _Riley?!_

No way. In Maya's rule book, fate was not and never would be a thing. Good things like Riley Matthews did not keep happening to broken things like her. Yet...there Riley was, in all her glittery glory, wearing a robe exactly like those of all the people around her. She also toted a large shopping bag full of books in one hand, witch a broomstick sticking out at the top. She was still beaming at Maya, and Maya couldn't help but manage a weak grin in return.

"Hey Riley. It's nice to see you again."

"Oh my god, oh my god, I am FREAKING OUT here. When you mentioned a private boarding school, I didn't think you could have possibly meant Hogwarts, but–"

"RILEY! Stop wandering off so much! We still have a lot of shopping to finish up before we head to the train station!" The woman, man, and little boy (Riley's family) were at the end of the street, and Maya turned to bid farewell to her tall brunette "friend". But before any words had left Maya's mouth, Riley latched onto her arm and dragged her across the street to where her family was waiting.

"You haven't finished your school shopping yet, have you? You absolutely HAVE to come with me and my family!"

Maya's head spun. She and Riley had basically just met, and here Riley was with yet _another_ traveling offer. Maya was conflicted about whether or not to accept. As great as Riley seemed, if there was one thing New York street life had taught Maya, it was to trust and depend on no one.

Yet, she admitted grudgingly, she couldn't lie to herself. There was no way she was going to get her school shopping done without at least a little guidance. _Just this once_ , she promised herself. After this, Maya Hart would walk with nothing and no one.

"Mom, Dad, Auggie, meet my new friend Maya! She's the one I was talking to at the airport. I think fate must have brought us together because, well, what are the chances the one random stranger you choose to speak to happens to be going to the exact same school you are? And Hogwarts, a magical school at that!"

Riley had let go of Maya's arm, and was now babbling excitedly to her parents and Auggie, who Maya assumed was the name of the little boy standing with them (Riley's younger brother?). Maya couldn't help gazing in wonder at the brunette. Where did this girl get all her positive energy? She could tell by the way that some passerby were staring at them that they wondered it too.

"-and we're going to be the very best friends ever and-" Riley seemed even more hyped than before, and her mother gave her an exasperated look before turning to Maya. Maya gulped a little. Mrs. Matthews was a very nice looking lady, but Maya could tell that she wasn't stupid. Maya's ratty jeans and dark t-shirt, along with her combat boots and backwards baseball cap, gave her a dark, street-rat look that no mother in their right mind would allow their child near. Riley's mother, unlike her daughter, would not trust Maya so easily. Maya shook her offered hand firmly.

"Hello, Maya. I'm Topanga Matthews, Riley's mom. Are you going into your first year at Hogwarts too?"

"Yes. I-"

"Mom, don't interrogate her! You'll scare her off!" Mrs. Matthews rolled her eyes at her daughter, but didn't reply. "Anyways, I'm pretty sure Maya came here alone. Can she please please _please_ come shopping with us?" Riley turned puppy dog eyes on her parents. Maya felt a sting at Riley's mention of her no-show parents, but brushed it off. After all, the innocent girl knew nothing about her home life.

"Of course it's okay with us." This time, it was Riley's father who spoke. He was giving Maya a scrutinizing look, and Maya suddenly got the feeling that he could see right through her. Maybe he could. It had to be possible in the magical world, right? "Maya, are you here with your parents or alone?"

"I-I'm alone, sir."

"Sir! Topanga, can you remember the last time somebody's called me "sir"? It's always 'Professor Matthews this' and 'Professor Matthews that' nowadays." His serious demeanor changed instantaneously, and he turned gleaming eyes on his wife. Maya thought his manner of speech greatly resembled that of Riley's. Another pang hit her heart. How much would she have resembled her father, had he stayed?

"Dad, stop rambling!" Riley gave her father a look. Maya stifled a smirk. Riley, telling someone to stop rambling? They'd spent less than fifteen minutes together, yet Maya already felt as if she had known Riley for a lifetime. _Was this what friendship felt like?_

"Maya, you should totally come with us. Shopping is _sooooo_ much more fun with friends!" Riley latched onto Maya's arm once more, and they zoomed off down the street and into an entirely different world.


	3. Chapter 3

**A:N/ Hey guys! Sorry about the long wait. I was on vacation (cruise, wat wat!), and had absolutely NO internet access :(. However, to anyone who's still sticking with this story, Chapter Three is just below! Lucas will be introduced next chapter, for those of you wondering, so that'll be fun. But, as always, I hope you enjoy!**

 **(P.S: Thank you to Guest for your kind review! That really made my day!)**

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One hour and fifty five minutes later, Maya Hart had learned approximately four things about Riley Matthews:

1) Her family was a very well known line of pure blooded wizards (meaning that they were solely of magic blood)

2) Her favorite color was purple, and she took it very seriously (Maya knew this because Riley had tried to turn her newly purchased pet cat a violent shade of fuchsia)

3) She was probably the most adorable, innocent, and trusting girl in the entire world (magical and Muggle both)

4) Riley somehow made the prospect of tackling the wizard in world a lot less terrifying in Maya's eyes

Coming from a place where miracles occurred when pigs flew and people abandoned each other without a care in the world, Maya was dumbfounded by Riley's complete and utter faith that she and Maya would be best friends for life. Even more surprising, Maya actually didn't think that prospect sounded so bad. She'd never had a real friend in her entire life before, let alone a best friend, and the thought of having someone like Riley as one mare things, well...better.

The two girls were now standing near the edge of Platform Nine and Three Quarters, waiting to board the Hogwarts Express train for school. They had finished their school shopping around half an hour ago, booked it to the London station, rushed through the magical barrier (by far the most shocking part of Maya's day, she was still reeling from it), and had arrived on the platform just as the train was pulling in. Maya's meager belongings now included a stack of school books, second-hand robes, a shiny, deep chestnut wand, ink and parchment, and other miscellaneous supplies necessary for a first year Hogwarts student. She thanked her lucky stars for Riley and her family. They had known their way well around Diagon Alley, and had helped her find everything she needed in only an hour or so. Without them, Maya was certain that she would never have been able to get everything in time for the train.

Maya also probably wouldn't have half the belongings she did now if it weren't for the Matthews. Her twenty five dollars worth of Muggle money had only amounted to a few sickles worth of wizard's gold— barely enough to purchase her school books. However, Mr. Matthews pulled a decent amount of weight in the wizarding world (he taught History of Magic at Hogwarts, a class Maya would be taking), and had inconspicuously haggled down the prices of all of Maya's items. Event then, they had just barely fit under her budget. She was eternally grateful, yet slightly confused as to why Mr. Matthews would do all of it for her. When she'd asked, he'd only said that school supplies were far too expensive as it was, and that he had simply made sure she got all of hers at a decent price. Maya wondered if she was dreaming.

Back in New York, she had always stayed away from anyone even remotely nice to her. She absolutely hated feeling like a charity case, and firmly believed that those who knew her family situation would only stick around her because they pitied her. But Mr. Matthews and his family didn't seem to treat her differently than they would any other kid. Besides bargaining with store clerks for her, Mr. Matthews had seemed just as irritated with her as with Riley when they had wandered off one too many times. And Mrs. Matthews smiled and spoke with her just as much as she did her own family. Even Riley's younger brother, Auggie, treated Maya with the same haughty, I-know-everything air that little kids used with all teenagers. And Riley...well, Maya was left wondering where Riley had been all her life.

The brunette girl had seemed completely oblivious to any financial issues Maya may have had during their shopping escapade. She'd hopped along excitedly from store front to store front, begging to look around the more interesting ones and buying nearly a pound of sweets from a small candy shop they had passed (none of which Maya had recognized, but she trusted Riley's word that they were good). Riley's vitality and carefree nature made Maya for once appreciate a good shopping spree, without feeling so burdened by the money in her pocket. For the first time in her life, Maya had felt almost...free.

That was the reassuring thing about living at rock bottom. There was no direction Maya's life could go but up. And the introduction of Riley Matthews could definitely be the lift off.

"Hey, Peaches," Riley's voice broke Maya's thoughts. After claiming that all BFFs needed nicknames, the brunette girl had taken to calling the blonde 'Peaches' (a name Maya never would have accepted from anyone else, but found endearing coming from Riley). "Which house do you think we'll get it?"

"House? ...There are houses?" The tiny spark of excitement Maya may have felt earlier vanished. There was still so much she didn't know about the world of magic! Hell, she'd basically only started taking it seriously that day. At this rate, Maya was absolutely positive she was going to flunk her way out of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry before she even boarded the train.

"You know, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin?" Riley blinked at her. "Oh, right, you come from a Muggle family! I shouldn't have expected you to know about them. Anyways, there are four of houses at Hogwarts— kind of like teams, in a way. Each house has their own separate living and sleeping area, and every student works to gain points for his or her house. At the end of the year, the house with the most points wins the House Cup. Frankly, I have no idea what house I'll be placed in, considering-"

"Miss, would you please stop talking to your friend and step onto the train?" The man behind Riley (tall, balding, and with the funniest mustache Maya Had ever seen) was glaring at them. Maya realized that she and Riley had reached the front of the boarding line, and Riley's babbling was holding up the entire group. Maya sighed, grabbed Riley (who grabbed her trunk and the cat basket holding her new calico kitten) and hopped onto the Hogwarts Express. Mrs. Matthews and Auggie waved at Riley as she entered the train (Mr. Matthews had boarded earlier to sit with the other teachers), and to Maya's surprise they also waved at her. She was left wondering if for once this year she might receive a Christmas card from somebody besides her mom.

"As I was saying," Riley continued her little speech as she and Maya toted their belongings down the corridor of the train, "I'm not sure which house I'll be placed in considering that my dad was a Gryffindor and my mom a Ravenclaw. I'll be happy with any house, though, just as long as it isn't _Slytherin_." Riley gave a shudder when she spoke the last word. The action almost caused her to lose her grip on her suitcase, which she was stuffing into the carrying quarters of an empty compartment they had just reached. Maya used her left hand (which was not holding her own luggage) and boosted the deep chestnut case into the tight space. It fell inside with a clatter.

"What's wrong with Slytherin?" Maya asked. She stuffed her ratty suitcase into the small holding space next to Riley's and settled down on one of the seats below. Riley placed her cat basket next to Maya, shut the compartment door, and sat across from her. The calico kitten inside the cat basket, dubbed "Princess Dancing Sunshine" by Riley, pushed her way out and began sniffing Maya's leg. She patted it absentmindedly, and waited for Riley to explain more about "Slytherin". Thankfully, it wasn't a long wait. The brunette girl began babbling again as soon as her butt landed on the leather train seat.

"Slytherin is the house for bad eggs, Peaches. Almost every dark wizard of the ages came from there."

At Maya's confused look, she elaborated. "You don't want to be one of them. They're _evil_. Dabble in the Dark Arts and all that stuff. Personally, I think you'll get into Ravenclaw, it's where all the super smarties come from, and you're sharp from what I've noticed..." Riley kept talking, but Maya had stopped paying attention. There was a 'bad' wizarding house? There were "bad" wizards? Her friendship with goody-two-shoes Riley Matthews may as well end there and then. If Slytherin was where all the "bad wizards" came from, then Maya was definitely going there. And Riley wouldn't be following behind her. After all, people like Riley could probably do nothing but good in their lives. And broken people like Maya, well, what were they if not 'bad'?

"Uh...hello?" Maya and Riley both started. A short, nerdy-looking boy of about their age was standing outside their compartment, holding the sliding door open. His brown hair sported a bowl haircut, and he wore a long turtleneck shirt underneath his robes (a look Maya wouldn't have been caught dead in). Behind him was a huge brown trunk and an owl cage with a hooting bird inside. The boy looked nervous, and there was a faint blush on his cheeks. Maya stared at him, and saw that Riley was doing the same. An awkward moment passed before Maya realized that they were supposed to reply to his greeting.

"Um, hey." Maya thought that must have been the most awkward thing she had ever said (Maya did not _do_ awkward) but it had the desired effect. The boy instantly looked less anxious, and pushed the compartment door all the way open. "My name is Farkle Minkus, eleven year old genius child who will probably end up ruling the world one day."

Riley and Maya blinked at him. 'Farkle' set turged on his luggage and owl cage and scratched his head awkwardly. "Um...do you ladies mind if I sit with you? There are no other empty compartments."

Maya looked at Riley, who had been looking at her. A telepathic conversation ensued:

 _Riley: Should we let him sit with us?_

 _Maya: I don't know. He seems a little... **off**...to me..._

 _Riley: It's the turtleneck, isn't it?_

 _Maya: Yep._

 _Riley: Well, other than that, there are no other visible faults that I can see._

 _Maya: Except that he'll probably end up boring us to death with his obvious nerd powers._

 _Riley: Maya!_

 _Maya: Yes or no?_

Both girls nodded almost imperceptibly to each other, and then turned to Farkle. The boy looked (and probably felt) incredibly awkward from Maya's perspective, standing all alone in basically the middle of the train corridor (not to mention he was sweating nervously). His head had been swiveling back and forth between the two girls, as if aware of the telepathy occurring between them but unable to follow it. Maya narrowed her eyes at him.

"Look, Nerd Boy-"

"It's Child Genius!"

"Whatever. You can sit here on two conditions: one, you don't act like a nerd, and two, you don't hit on either of us." Riley let out a little giggle after the last part. Maya stifled a sigh. The girl had A LOT to learn.

Nevertheless, Farkle's mouth stretched into a huge grin, and he loaded his belongings into the luggage compartment above. Then he stretched out on the seat next to Riley (Princess Dancing Sunshine was curled next to Maya), tucked his arms behind his head, crossed his legs, and gave a creepy attempt at a seductive smirk.

"So, would either of you two lovely ladies like to learn about Belgium 1831?"

Maya facepalmed. It was going to be one _long_ train ride.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm back! School's started, so that's stressful... I might not update as quickly, with schoolwork and everything. But anyways, GMW's always here to take my mind off of things, and for that I'm always grateful ;). Ok, I'll stop yapping now. Reviews are always appreciated, and, like I've said before, if you guys have any suggestions on who to pair Riley with, please post below!**

* * *

The train ride to Hogwarts started out to be the most fun Maya had ever had in her entire life, (even with the surprise inclusion of Farkle Minkus, boy genius and diehard ladies man). Farkle, being the growing (and filthy rich) boy that he is, had purchased nearly half of the sweets on the trolley cart, and offered a generous portion to Maya and Riley. Now, full on Chocolate Frogs and Pumpkin Pasties and Berty Bot's Every Flavor Beans (Maya didn't like those very much, after three vomit flavored ones in a row), Maya had never been so content in her entire life.

Both of her new friends (yes, Farkle Minkus was now a 'friend') treated her better than all of the people in New York combined, and she was left feeling as if an empty space in her soul was suddenly being filled.

 _Hope?_

No. That was impossible. She'd never needed it before, and she didn't need it now. But...maybe Riley Matthews and even Farkle Minkus would stick around. Maybe they wanted to be a part of Maya's lonely world, and make it better. Maybe they wanted to explore her Dungeon of Sadness and show her how not everything needed to be scary and how not all good things needed to be treated like they would disappear. Maybe...

Maybe even Maya Hart, abandoned by a father and left to scrape the streets of New York with half a mother, could be capable of trust.

 _Riley, Farkle, and her mother._ Maya would stop her list there. No need to test her luck and see how many other people she could let in before one of them broke her heart for the umpteenth time.

"Hey, Maya," Maya turned at the sound of her name. They were two hours into the train ride, and she had thought she was the only one in their car awake. Apparently not. Riley was lying sprawled out with her back against the window, smiling sleepily at her through lidded eyes.

"What is it, Riles?" Maya replied. Farkle (who Maya hadn't noticed had also woken up) stopped unwrapping yet another Chocolate Frog and was now watching them, a hint of interest in his eyes.

Riley sat up straight and opened her eyes all the way, leaning forward slightly towards Maya. "Can you teach me how to flirt?"

Maya blinked. As flattering (and surprising) as it was that her friend trusted her enough to make this request, she was shocked. Innocent little Riley, tackling the very dangerous world of boys? It had to be a joke...

"Riley, are you serious?" The incredibility in her own voice almost made Maya flinch. _That was not supposed to come out like that..._ Perhaps this 'friendship' thing took more work than Maya realized. Riley frowned.

"Maya, I have never been more serious about anything ever! My parents have been sheltering me from the outside world for ALL ELEVEN YEARS of my life." Riley's eyes shone as she continued. "Flirting would be first step towards becoming an independent woman, just like you!"

Uh oh. This train ride had just taken a turn for the worse. If an "independent woman" was Riley's image of Maya, then flirting might be only the first ridiculous request of many for the brunette girl to make to the blonde...

"Riles, boys are a very, ah, _volatile_ subject to cover at our age," Maya began slowly, trying to shut down her friend as lightly as possible, "and learning how to flirt now isn't really a smart idea..." _Not to mention I actually don't have any first hand experience in dealing with boys..._

Beside Riley, Farkle was looking at her with a glint in his eye, Chocolate Frog now forgotten. Maya stiffened. His boyish face was curved into a dangerous smirk, and he folded his arms across his chest (was that supposed to look intimidating?). "Yeah Maya, you should totally give Riley flirting lessons. In fact, I might pick up some skills from your exemplary ability to attract the opposite sex too. Why don't you show us how it's done?"

Maya narrowed her eyes. Was he setting her up? Perhaps she had been wrong to consider him a friend so hastily... The nerd boy had to be aware that Maya didn't really know how to flirt, but her pride kept her silent. Besides, the chances of actually going through with Farkle's plan were almost nonexistent anyways.

"Oh my gosh, that's a brilliant idea, Farkle!" Maya inwardly cursed. "Maya, you absolutely HAVE to show me how to flirt now. We can go to one of the other compartments and find a cute guy, and you can flirt with him for me to watch! _Pleeeaaasseee?_ " Riley turned her puppy dog eyes on Maya. The blonde could feel her boat rapidly sinking.

"Um, still, Riley, don't we have more important things to worry about, like, I don't know..." Maya looked around quickly, and spotted Princess Dancing Sunshine trying to climb out the window, "uh, your cat climbing out the window?"

"Oh no! Princess, get back here!" Riley's attention immediately switched to her kitten, who was now dangling off of the glass window pane. But Farkle grabbed the animal before it could fly out, tugged it down onto his lap, and then turned back to Maya. "You were saying?"

She silently cursed the boy. If it had just been Riley, Maya was positive that she would have bought the distraction. However, Farkle-who-did-not-have-the-attention-span-of-a-two-year-old just _had_ to be there. _Humiliation of a lifetime, here I come._

"Farkle, if you want me to teach Riley so bad, why don't you do it yourself?" Maya knew it was a last ditch attempt, but she desperately hoped it would pay off. She _really_ didn't want to start her first year at Hogwarts by mortally embarrassing herself in front of some random dude. _C'mon Farkle, where's your manly ego?_ But Farkle just kept smiling.

"No Maya, I think you would be a much better teacher." Maya gave him a death glare.

 _You really want to do this?_ She silently egged him.

He shrugged and over dramatically mouthed 'I'm bored'. Then he turned to Riley.

"Riley, let's go find a cute boy for Maya to flirt with!" The brunette, oblivious as always to the showdown that had just occurred, skipped happily out of the compartment. With sunken heart, Maya followed.

* * *

They had only passed a couple doors when Riley stopped short, a furious blush covering her pretty face. One look inside the window she was peering through and Maya didn't know whether to die on the spot or start laughing. Even Farkle gave an impressed nod when he saw what, or more specifically who, they were looking at.

Inside of The Compartment Two Doors Down and To the Left was the most classically handsome boy Maya had ever seen. Blonde, muscular, and with a chiseled face any male specimen twice his age would be jealous of, he was the prime example of "a cute guy." He was sitting alone, with a black suitcase and owl cage beside him, and was staring out the window at the blurred scenery. From her angle, Maya couldn't see his eyes, but she was sure they were every bit as dreamy as the rest of him. She sighed. Riley needed to learn the rules of the game before she started playing for real, and Rule Number One was to know your limits. This guy was so out of both her and Riley's league that Maya didn't even look twice before opening her mouth to tell Riley to move on.

"Riles, he-"

"Maya, it has to be him!" The brunette's squeal bounced off of the train corridor's walls, and Maya quickly slapped a hand over the girl's face. Thankfully, Mr. Gorgeous inside the compartment hadn't heard a thing. Maya turned to Riley, hand still over mouth, and pursed her lips. "Riley, this guy is NOT the kind of person to give flirting lessons on. Let's go find someone slightly more...conspicuous." She turned to go, but Riley latched tight onto her arm.

"Please Maya. I just get the feeling that this guy is _The One_ for me. It's love at first sight! PLLLEEEEAAAASSSEEEE?!" Maya blinked at her. _Love at first sight? Was she for real?_ Everyone knew those kinds of things only happened in Disney movies and trashy romance novels. Not real life. And definitely not to an eleven year old witches in train corridors with absolutely no idea what they were doing.

"Sweetheart, I know we only met today, but I think I understand you well enough to make a decent judgement on what kinds of boys are right for you." At Riley's encouraging nod, Maya continued. "And he is definitely not one of them." Riley's optimistic smile fell back into a frown. "Those kinds of boys? They'll break your heart in ten seconds flat and sneer while you pick up the pieces. Now let's move on."

But Riley seemed to be set in her stance, and was firmly shaking her head. "Maya, he looks so nice! I'm sure he'd never do that. Plus, no offense, but I think you judge people a little too quickly." Maya flinched, but she knew Riley was right. "We haven't even had one conversation with him yet. I think he's perfect for me. Now go in and flirt with him!" This time it was Maya who frowned. She turned to Farkle, who had been watching the entire exchange with his stupid "Farkle-Grin" plastered onto his face, and waited for his opinion. Sadly, he was staring intently at the boy inside the compartment, and Maya had to swipe her hand in front of him several times before he responded.

"Maya, based on my calculations, this member of the male species falls within the ninety ninth top percentile of human evolution based on looks alone." Farkle stood ramrod straight and had fallen into what seemed like a robot mode. "And even though I am aware that I myself only fall within the ninety eighth, I am perfectly confident that his brain capacity must be at least fifty percent worse than my own." He raised one finger, as if lecturing a class. "Therefore, I am still the obviously superior choice on all levels for either one of you two lovely ladies-"

"Farkle," Riley cut him off before he could continue. He stopped abruptly, and gave her an irritated look.

"What?!"

Riley's face was molded into a determined expression, and she looked like she had just made the most important decision of her entire life. A tingle of worry shot down Maya's spine. "I have decided that I am no longer going to be dependent on the opinions of my peers to influence who I am as an independent woman! Therefore, I apologize if my next actions upset either of you!"

Then, to Maya's horror, Riley pushed open the doors to The Compartment Two Doors Down and To The Left holding the Drop-Dead-Gorgeous-Boy-Maya-Wanted-Nothing-To-Do-With and pulled her inside.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long, I've been REALLY busy with school starting up and all. This is an extra long chapter to try and make it up to you guys, so I hope you enjoy it. For those who left comments, I really appreciate the support, and I'm so glad that you like reading my story! Please continue to follow it, because it's only just begun ;).**

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Maya stood in the doorway of the compartment, features frozen as the stranger inside stared at their trio. Riley, triumphant and accomplished, beaming at Maya as if she'd just won the lottery. Farkle, shocked but not quite stupefied, looking around awkwardly like he'd had when he first burst in on Riley and Maya only two hours ago. And her, with her hair still mussed up from the airplane ride that morning and her ripped jeans and dark t-shirt (she hadn't yet changed into her robes yet), and a look of absolute trepidation on her face.

"Um...hello?" The stranger's tentative greeting rang out in the air, and Maya snapped out of her stupor. Riley was also nudging her viciously now, and even Farkle had started giving her an expectant look.

 _Oh. Right._

This was supposed to be her cue to magically win over the boy's heart and show Riley how it was done. She shook her head. As nervous and unprepared as she was, Maya had to admit that a better opportunity would never present itself. Maya took a deep breath and sauntered over to the window seat across from the handsome, gorgeous, and totally out of her league human being who was now her partner in teaching. She ignored Riley's excited intake of breath and Farkle's eyebrow raise, and focused solely on the "task at hand".

"Hi, I'm Maya. You're really cute. We should hang out sometime. You make me happy." The boy's face changed from confusion into the familiar egotistical smile that Maya was all too used to seeing on the faces of the boys in her neighborhood.

 _Boys_. Give them one compliment and they act as if they rule the world. This one pulled off the expression very well, though. Maya felt a slight tingle in her spine at the way his bright green eyes were glued on her, and forced it down.

 _He's Riley's._

She ignored the warmth surging through her veins and concentrated on what she was doing, almost smirking at the thought of his reaction at what she was going to say next. The fawning smile that she had not-so-forced onto her face began its transformation into a frown.

"You're not paying enough attention to me. This isn't working out." The look of confusion was back, this time ten-fold, and Maya tried to ignore Farkle's obnoxious laughing in the background. "It's you, not me. We can still be friends," The boy gave her a slow nod, but Maya just kept plowing through.

"Not really." She flipped her hair the way she saw the baristas at her mom's work place do when they spoke to guys, and walked back to her friends, triumph lighting up her face. Riley was staring at her with her mouth hanging open and her eyes shining with awe, and Farkle had an impressed, bug-eyed expression that really didn't work well with him, but that Maya appreciated anyways.

"Go ahead, Riles. It's your turn." Now that Maya's portion of the plan was done and over with, she wanted revenge on Riley for putting her on the spot like that. With no warning, the blonde latched onto the brunette's arm and swung her full force onto the stranger boy's lap. Riley squealed and landed right where Maya had aimed, and, like the gentleman he was supposed to be, the boy caught her. Maya squished away the small feeling of jealousy in the pit of her stomach at the sight.

 _Stop it_ , she told herself. Nice girls like Riley deserve gorgeous guys like this one, and gorgeous guys always fell for nice girls like Riley. It was the way the universe worked. Maya was the wingwoman, the best friend who supported the relationship and to whom Riley would come crying to when something didn't work out, and then would fix said something. And everybody knew that the best friend did not get the guy.

It would be better for Maya to think about him as Riley's boyfriend before anything got worse.

Maya reverted her attention back to Riley and "Riley's boyfriend". They were having a TV drama worthy performance of awkwardness and "love at first sight", and Maya knew that this was going to be a lasting relationship. She almost smiled at how great of a matchmaker she was.

"Lucas. I love it." Riley's bubbly giggle blew away the last remnants of Maya's bitterness, and she focused her attention on the still astounding fact that she was going to be attending a fancy boarding school, and a magical one no less, with actual friends by her side. _Strange things did happen in the world..._

Suddenly, Riley hopped off of the lap of the newly dubbed "Lucas" and ran to the compartment door. She gave Maya a blinding smile and said, "Let's go back to our compartment. The train will be arriving at Hogwarts pretty soon, and we need to get changed." Maya knew that the train wasn't due until at least an hour later, but decided to comply with Riley's request nonetheless. Maybe the brunette was just feeling nervous about spending too much time with her new love interest. It was a perfectly natural response, and Maya was eager to hear what Riley had to say about Lucas. Farkle, who was closer to the door than she was, managed to swing outside after Riley first, and Maya followed quickly, turning around to give one last contemplative look towards the boy were leaving behind.

However, just as she was about to step out of the doors, they swung shut in front of her. The lights overhead dimmed, and the consistent whirring of the train's engine quieted to a dull thrum. Maya blinked and looked around in confusion. The landscape outside the window was also slowing down dramatically, and she could already begin to make out the separate outlines of the pine trees they were passing. A chill began to settle over Maya, and she thought longingly of her worn leather jacket sitting within her own train compartment. Deeper within the compartment she was currently in, Lucas was also sporting a baffled expression (although he definitely made it look a lot cuter than Maya ever could).

"Do you know what's going on?" Lucas's voice filled the empty compartment. Maya's eyes flickered uneasily to the boy, who was staring at her with the same focused gaze he had had earlier when she was flirting with him. It was unnerving just how green his eyes were, and how intently he could train them on an object of interest (which, at the moment, was her). The blonde shook her head and sat down on the cushioned seat across from him. "I have no-"

"ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS!" A shrill, female voice boomed over what were probably invisible loud speakers overhead. Or it could have been magic, Maya didn't even know at that point. Lucas winced, covering his ears, but Maya easily shrugged off the noise. Things got hectic around her mom's work, and her ears was used to the constant screaming and hubbub that came with a diner. She waited patiently to hear what the voice was going to say next.

"I AM SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE, BUT OUR TRAIN IS- oh, am I really speaking that loudly? Excuse me. Anyways, we have just been notified that Hogwarts is experiencing some...rather appalling odor problems. The effects are said to be able to reach several hundred miles away from the source, so the train has had to be shut down until the source has been terminated and the air cleared. For now, all compartments doors and windows have been placed in lock down for your own safety, so please be patient until we have resolved the issue. Thank you, and enjoy your school year!" With a loud crackle, the voice faded away.

Maya frowned deeply at the news she had just heard. _Odor problems? Several hundred miles away?_ If these kinds of things were what happened to students before they'd even reached the school, then what was she supposed to expect from Hogwarts itself? Deep in thought, she didn't even notice Lucas come to sit next to her until she felt something warm and soft drape over her shoulders. Looking up, she realized that he had placed what was probably a gray sweatshirt over her shoulders. She blinked at him in confusion.

"You were shivering, so I figured you were probably cold..." He shrugged sheepishly, and turned away from her. Now that he had brought it up, Maya realized that it was rather chilly in the compartment. Her hands felt a little numb, and she was glad for the new warmth of the sweatshirt around her shoulders. "Thanks."

The boy shrugged again. His rugged features made Maya wonder once again how in the world it was possible that she, out of all the people on the train, could be stuck, alone, next to him in an isolated train compartment for any number of hours. If she believed in cliché love stories, she would have thought that this would have been an excellent beginning for any couple.

 _It should be Riley here, not me..._

"So, you're Maya right?" Lucas' voice broke the silence. Maya nodded absentmindedly. It was best not to interact with him too much, or else Riley might feel threatened that Maya was trying to steal him from her. But it would be rude if she just snubbed him... Besides, this was a perfect opportunity to get to know him a little better— see if he was actually good enough for her perfect little brunette friend. Maya decided to open with a joke to test the waters.

"And you're Ranger Roy, right?" The boy blinked at her.

"Excuse me, what?"

"I said, you're Ranger Rick, aren't you? God, you southerners really must be deaf or something, listening to all those cows bleating day in and day out." The boy, who Maya knew was named Lucas, kept staring at her. Finally, his face turned from confusion to annoyance.

"Look, just because Texas is known for it's ranches doesn't mean that everyone from there came from a ranch! And besides, my accent isn't even that strong." He frowned at her. _So he's from Texas..._ Maya frowned back.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It must be Huckleberry, I forgot." She stretched her face into an obviously fake smile, and offered her hand to him. Lucas ignored it, and narrowed his eyes at her. _Even his death glares look attractive..._ He stood up suddenly, and Maya couldn't help feeling tiny next to his larger frame. Without warning, he pulled his sweatshirt away from her and sat down on the seat across the aisle where he had previously been. Maya's arms instantly erupted into goosebumps, and she looked at him, startled and annoyed.

"Hey, give that back! It's not gentlemanly to take away an article of clothing from a lady!" She reached a hand out expectantly for the sweatshirt. Without it, Maya felt as if she would freeze to death. But Lucas simply smirked and shook his head.

"You're barely considered a lady. Plus, it's my sweatshirt in the first place. If you want it back, you're gonna have to apologize." Maya's head was already shaking.

"Not in a million years." Lucas gave another one of his "I-couldn't-care-less" shrugs and turned away from her. Maya stretched herself out on her side on her cushioned seat, and folded her bare arms around her torso to try to conserve heat. If he wanted to play that game, fine. Maya would play, and she would win. She was definitely telling Riley that she the brunette needed a new boy toy. This one was not going to cut it.

As the minutes passed by, however, Maya could feel the heat escaping slowly and steadily from her body. The shivers that had only just disappeared from her returned in full force, and she pulled herself into fetal position to try to keep herself warm. Lucas sat watching her, an amused look on his face. She glared at him. The Hogwarts robes he wore, although not the most attractive shade of black, looked infinitely warmer than the street clothes she had on, and she wished desperately that she had thought to change into her own uniform before she and Riley and Farkle had left their train car.

"All you have to do is apologize..." Lucas repeated his ultimatum, and Maya pursed her lips. As much as she hated to admit it, was her pride really worth catching a cold right before the school year began? Besides, it was just a few innocent nicknames. He was clearly the one being overly prickly about the whole thing. Apologizing would show that she was the bigger person. Just as Maya had decided that maybe apologizing would make her life easier, Lucas spoke again.

"Ok, fine, you won't apologize." Maya looked up at him sharply. Was he really giving up that easily? "But if you want the sweatshirt, you're gonna have to come and get it." He straightened to his full height and raised the article of clothing high above his head. His eyebrows raised in a challenge, and Maya stood up slowly, trying to ignore the way the cold washed over her now that she was no longer hunched up.

"You realize you're not that tall, right?" Lucas shrugged at her comment.

"You realize that you're pretty short, right?" Maya narrowed her eyes. With a running start, she leaped as high into the air as she could, arm outstretched for the sweatshirt she so desperately needed. Her fingertips just grazed it. Lucas smirked above her.

"See?"

Maya closed the space between them and grabbed his robe collar in her fist, pulling him down so that they were face to face. "Look here, Hopalong, you may have won this time, but this isn't over. One of these days, I _will_ get to you." His bright green eyes bore into her own blue ones, and Maya felt another shiver run down her spine, this one having nothing to do with the unnaturally low temperature of her surroundings. She hadn't even realized they were flush up against each other, boot tip to boot tip, until she felt his breath merge with her own. Maya jumped back in reflex.

 _Too close. Far too close for comfort._

She turned back and sat down on her own side of the compartment, preparing herself for what was sure to be several more miserable hours. As she tucked her bitterly cold hands underneath her legs, she noticed Lucas rise out of his seat and lower himself onto hers. The gray sweatshirt fell across her shoulders again, bringing with it the warmth she desperately needed, only this time there was an arm draped on top of it. After several long moments of self-debate, Maya tentatively leaned into Lucas' side, head resting comfortably against his shoulder, and felt her eyes droop with the exhaustion of the day and the added warmth from Lucas' body.

 _Maybe he isn't so bad after all..._


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: What's up, guys? New chapter today, so I hope you enjoy! The story may feel kind of slow right now, but it'll go a lot faster once I finish up with all of the introduction stuff and they actually begin school.**

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When Maya woke up again, the train was just rumbling back to life. Outside the window, the sky was deepening in preparation for sunset, and the entire train compartment was aglow from the warm yellow lights overhead. Maya noted (with relief) that the temperature had gone up at least ten degrees, and she could at least sit up without shivering violently. Lucas' gray sweatshirt was still draped haphazardly over her shoulders, but it's owner was nowhere in sight. Maya looked around. The compartment door was open slightly, and the hubbub of excited students streamed in through the crack.

Suddenly, the compartment door opened a little bit more and Riley and Farkle came hopping in.

"Peaches! You're awake!" Maya blinked at her.

"How long have I been out?"

"Around two hours or so." Farkle cut in. He offered Maya a pastry wrapped in plastic. It had an orange colored filling, and Maya assumed that it was probably one of the "Pumpkin Pasties" that Riley had raved about earlier. Apparently Hogwarts served fantastic food.

"Anyways, Lucas said that you guys had a bit of a freeze in here earlier. The trolley witch said that it was because they had to shut down parts of the air control system throughout the train to avoid noxious fumes wafting in. Crazy, huh?" Farkle seemed unnaturally excited by this phenomenon, but Maya decided not to question it. His scientific brain was probably on overdrive trying to calculate the potency of the fumes or something along the lines of that. Maya turned her attention to Riley.

"So, what have you guys been doing?" At Maya's question, Riley beamed.

"Farkle's been telling me about his father's work! Apparently, the Ministry of Magic has been passing a bunch of laws regarding..."

 _Ministry of Magic?_ Was there an entire government for these wizarding folk? Maya was astonished that the concept of magic had never become more than just a hoax throughout the years. If the magical community was so established, why had absolutely no one outside of it ever heard of it? As Maya pondered this question, the compartment door opened once again. Lucas, handsome as ever, stepped inside and shut it behind him. His mouth curved into a grin upon spotting Maya sitting up.

"You're awake!" Maya gave him a "duh" look. He shrugged. "By the death grip you had on my arm when I tried to leave the compartment, I'd assumed you'd be out for much longer."

Maya froze. To her right, Riley whirled on the blonde, the adoring smile she'd had on when Lucas had entered the compartment instantly morphing into an expression of shock and betrayal.

"Maya! You slept on his arm?!" Behind Riley, Farkle's quick gaze was flitting between Lucas and Maya and back again, as if trying to solve some complicated mystery of sorts. Lucas however, only looked confused. He took a step towards Riley, as if to placate her.

"Riley, she was cold, and I did what any well-mannered guy would do." Lucas' nonchalant reply almost made Maya wince. Couldn't he tell he was inflating the problem? Riley's angry look softened slightly at his words, but it didn't stop her from narrowing her gaze at him.

"Lucas, giving her your sweatshirt was very nice of you. But that doesn't explain why she slept on your arm!"

"What do you have against her sleeping on my arm?" Lucas looked almost incredulous at Riley's outburst, and Maya knew that she was going to have to step in soon. She stood up and put a hand on Riley's shoulder.

"Riles, why don't we talk about this outside?" She gave her friend a pleading look, and, after a few moments of intense staring, Riley nodded. As Maya led Riley towards the compartment door, she glimpsed Lucas turning to Farkle with a look of utter bewilderment. Maya shook her head. It was better if he didn't understand the entire matter _quite_ yet. She prayed that Farkle knew better than to spill the beans.

"Maya, I thought that we agreed that he was mine!" Maya's focus snapped back to her brunette friend as soon as they had closed the sliding doors behind them. Hurt was written all over Riley's face, and the expression caused a worm of guilt to surface in Maya's stomach. She tried to shake it off.

 _What happened technically wasn't my fault._

She had been sleeping, and so what if her head had accidentally fallen on his shoulder, or if her hands had accidentally clutch his arm? Riley shouldn't be so sensative anyways.

But the little voice in Maya's head knew better than to be mad at her friend. Riley was young and innocent, and wasn't quite accustomed to the hardships life had to offer just yet.

 _She doesn't know what it was like to hurt so bad that it seemed to be the only thing you feel._

She didn't understand how much time a person could spend wondering what was so wrong about them that one of the most important people in their life could just up and leave. She didn't know what late nights alone listening to your mother cry and hearing your father's last words echo around your ears could do to a person's soul. And Maya wanted to keep it that way as long as possible.

Maya let the little guilt worm grow inside her and felt it begin to gnaw away at her heart, until she almost believed that what had happened was her fault and that it was now her job to explain the entire incident to Riley as a misunderstanding and beg forgiveness.

"Riles, I'm sorry. He's yours. What happened in the compartment was nothing more than an accident. I was cold, he sat down next to me and gave me his sweatshirt, and I fell asleep by accident. End of story. There's nothing for you to be worried about."

Riley was still frowning. "But what about the part where you were clutching his arm?"

Maya almost blew out a little sigh of frustration. As guilty as she may feel, this was a little much. Riley was fragile, sure, but this level of insecurity was somewhat unnatural. The blonde was going to have to start toughening up the girl a little. "Riley, I was asleep. People do strange things in their sleep. You told me that you always wake up hugging your stuffed animals. Lucas' arm probably seemed like a stuffed animal to Sleeping Maya."

As Maya spoke, Riley slowly began to calm down. The tears that Maya had seen her barely hold back had vanished, and the brunette seemed almost back to her bubbly self. Maya rallied in her last efforts to reassure her friend. "Riley, I have no interest in him whatsoever. He's all yours, and I'm sorry if you ever felt differently."

A tiny part of Maya wanted to argue this point just a bit; wanted to state that maybe Maya was just a _little_ bit interested in this boy and maybe she wanted to know him just a _little_ better. But she forced it down. It would be better not to get invested in affairs of the heart just yet. She'd already had her heart broken once. She didn't want to see the bits of it she had left get stomped on until they were nothing more than dust. Lucas would be happy with Riley, and that was the way things went. That's how they should be.

Maya could visibly see the hot air deflate out of Riley as Maya's last words of reassurance hung in the air. The brunette threw her arms around Maya, and the blonde inhaled the scent of sugary sweet and fragrant innocence.

 _I hope nothing bad ever happens to you, Honey._

It was another hour or so before the Hogwarts Express pulled in at Hogsmeade Station. Maya was thrumming with anticipation (something that rarely ever happened), and Riley was beside herself with excitement. Farkle stood slightly apart from the girls, face glued to the train window, and was barely holding back a look of wonder. It was no wonder why.

Hogwarts was unlike anything Maya had ever seen. With high twisting towers, gaping archways, wide, expansive grounds, and even a glittering lake, it was by far the most intricate and majestic castle Maya had ever laid eyes on. Not to mention the entire place had an almost surreal atmosphere. It was as if the castle knew that magic was in the air, and that it was the holder of secrets like none the world had ever seen before. And Maya was about to be one of the few people in the world who knew those secrets.

"Oh, Peaches, what do you think is in store for us there?" Riley's breathy whisper mirrored Maya's own awestruck state. This was going to be her home for the next seven years of her life. Her escape from the horrors of her ordinary life and the place where she would get the fresh start she desperately needed. This was the first place where Maya would finally be _free_.

"ALL FIRST YEARS PLEASE REPORT TO THE DOCKS!" The high-pitched voice from before once again boomed over the invisible loud-speakers. Riley and Farkle dashed full speed out of the compartment and towards the train doors, but Maya lingered. Excitement hung over her like a second robe, but with it came the overwhelming sense of paranoia.

She wasn't good enough for this. Magic and fantasy adventures were not supposed to happen to people like her. This was all just a mistake, and she would wake up tomorrow heavy with the harsh reality that she had no magic in her blood and no Riley's to depend on and no cute boys who actually paid attention to her even though she didn't want them to. She was simply a rugrat from New York who had suddenly been given princess clothes and told to rule a country.

Something was going to go wrong eventually. The teachers would find out that she had no magical talent. She was going to get expelled because of her crude behavior and inability to trust anyone. Everyone would realize that Maya Harts did not belong in the world of sunshine and rainbows and unicorns and kick her back to her ordinary broken life– only this time, she would be dragging her broken hopes behind her. She would-

"Look at that." The sound of a familiar voice behind her startled Maya out of her anxiety. Lucas.

She turned around to face him, and found him staring out at the castle beyond the glass pane in front of her. She blinked at him.

"Why are you here?" Maya knew she sounded rude, but it was odd that he hadn't followed the stream of excited students straight off the train.

"I saw you staring out the window with a blank look, and thought it'd be fun to scare you?" She gave him an incredulous look. He shrugged. "You looked kind of lonely. Thought I'd come say hi."

Maya nodded and turned back to the landscape in front of her. _Lonely? Come say hi?_ She wasn't that pathetic, was she? Maya made it a personal goal from then on to appear as if she had experienced nothing except for what a kid her age should have. She didn't want to be pitied or mocked or be "the kid" that everyone watched out for because they felt bad.

Hogwarts was a new beginning, and she would make the most of it. She was here now, no matter how many regrets or how much paranoia she experienced. She would make the most of her stay, and enjoy as much of the "princess life" as she could until they decided she wasn't good enough. And then she would go home sadder but wiser for the experience, and never look back again.

Maya lifted her shoulders and turned to face Lucas, who was standing just inside the compartment doors. She gave him a weak smile, and then lifted her tiny trunk up with one hand and brushed past him through the doors.

 _Maya Hart was at Hogwarts, and they won't even know what hit them._


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey guys. I'm SO sorry for the "hiatus" on this story. It's been almost a year now, and I'm incredibly grateful to those of you who continued to read and follow** ** _Magic_** **. To be honest, I had kind of given up on it a little bit, but the reviews have been so supportive and encouraging that I decided to pick it up again.**

 **So, here's to Chapter 7!**

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Maya honestly had no idea what to think when she first saw the Sorting Hat. It was large, it was ugly, it was something she would never be caught dead wearing even on Halloween. It sat on an equally ugly brown stool, although the stool looked a lot more polished and a lot less...alive…

The Sorting Hat had been singing nonstop for the past two minutes, and Maya was wondering who could ever have been stupid enough to give it vocal chords. If she ever found out, she would strangle them. It wasn't even that the Sorting Hat had a terrible voice (it's vocal range was actually pretty good, now that she thought about it)– it was the fact that the thing COULDN'T CARRY A TUNE FOR ITS LIFE. If it continued screaming for much longer, she was hopping straight back onto the Hogwarts Express and cruising one-way to her home in the slums of New York. Her ears could only take so much.

Beside her, Riley, being the strange girl that she was, was..was _beaming_ at the horrid hat. Her eyes had taken on that dopey quality they got whenever she was saw something cute or fluffy (although Maya REALLY didn't think the hat qualified as either of the two), and she was happily... _swaying_ to the hat's nonsense. _God bless her innocent soul._

When she looked around to her fellow first years to see their reactions, Maya realized with a start that no one else seemed to share her mild disgust for the Sorting Hat. Most of her other classmates were looking at it as if it were made of pure gold, or as if it had descended from the heavens themselves. _What the hell?_ The upperclassmen sitting at their respective class tables were watching the entire spectacle with mild interest, although a few were snickering at the first years' reactions. Maya blinked. Perhaps the hat was more special than it looked?

The witch who had led Maya, Farkle, Riley, and the rest of their classmates up from the docks of the vast Hogwarts lake and through the gilded doors of Hogwarts castle, Professor McGonagall, had simply introduced the Sorting Hat as...the Sorting Hat. Maya had assumed that it was probably just some symbolic relic the school used to begin its new school year.

Then the hat had started to sing.

And now here she was.

Thankfully, as abruptly as it had begun its horrendous opening ballad, the hat stopped its raucous chanting. Everybody cheered. Maya stared around in confusion.

"Maya, clap!" Farkle nudged her, and Maya quickly brought her palms together to join in with the last round of applause. Riley gave her a weird look (the brunette had been one of the first people to start clapping, and certainly one of the most enthusiastic), which only made Maya even more baffled. It was a singing hat. Was that going to be the most impressive thing she saw at Hogwarts?

"Students, the sorting ritual will now begin promptly. First years, when I call your name, please step up and place the hat upon your head. Please do not panic if the hat happens to speak to you, it happens all the time, and best of luck!" Professor McGonagall stepped forward from her place beside the Sorting Hat, and unrolled a long sheet of yellowed parchment, which, Maya assumed, contained a list of names. A trickle of understanding flowed into her mind. _Sorting Hat. The sorting ritual._

Oh.

THIS was how the Hogwarts administration sorted kids into houses? Maya didn't know whether to cry with relief, or laugh at the stupidity of it all. On one hand, she wouldn't have to take an aptitude test or anything of that sort to find out where she would be spending the next seven years of her life. On the other hand, her fate was being decided by a hat.

A freakin' _hat_.

And a loud, annoying one that had no idea how to sing at that.

Oh boy.

Just then, a ringing cry came from the general direction of the Sorting Hat. Maya realized that the first student Professor McGonagall had called forth had just had their house announced by the Sorting Hat. Hufflepuff. The second student was already sitting down on the stool. Placing the hat on their head. Maya gulped. This was going a lot faster than she expected.

Suddenly, a voice whispered into her ear. "You scared, Maya?"

Street reflexes kicking in, she whipped around, fist drawn and heart racing. When she saw that it was just Lucas, she relaxed slightly– enough to lower her fist, that is. She glared at him.

"That was really unnecessary," she said, feeling her annoyance grow when she saw the smirk on his face. _Just you wait, Lucas, just you wait..._ The said boy was still flashing his pleased expression at her, and Maya realized she hadn't answered his question yet. She quickly declared:

"And, just so you know, of course I'm not scared. It's just a hat. And a it's a pretty lousy singer too." There. _Take that, Hee Haw!_

Lucas' face changed from one of smug glee to slight astonishment. "You did NOT just insult the Sorting Hat."

A nervous gulp suddenly rose in her throat. Did something bad happen when you insulted the Sorting Hat? No, that's impossible, it's just a hat. Hoping he hadn't seen her momentary discomfort, Maya did her best uninterested shrug and coolly met Lucas' incredulous gaze. "What's the worse it can do to me?"

"Probably set you on fire or send a giant sword plunging into your head," Lucas replied seriously. Maya rolled her eyes, but… he didn't seem to be lying… She made a mental note to ask Riley if those things had ever happened in the past, for future reference. "Either that," Lucas continued, "or, you know, place you in Slytherin." He waggled his eyebrows.

Maya let out an annoyed huff. "You know I don't like you very much, right?"

He smiled and tipped an imaginary hat. "Anything for you, ma'am."

He turned away from her and started up a conversation regarding ancient magical relics with Farkle. Maya stared at his backside for a long moment, before glancing over at Riley beside them. _Good, at least Little Miss Sunshine didn't see me talking to him._

Then she frowned. _Why should it be a problem for me to talk to him around her?_ Shaking her head, Maya decided that there were more important matters at hand than her new best friend's relationship issues, and turned her attention back to the Sorting Hat and the kids it was rapidly "sorting".

 _Focus, Maya. Hogwarts comes first, whatever social life you manage to glean comes, like, fourth._

Lucas was called up a few minutes later, and the hat barely touched his head before announcing "Gryffindor!". Of course the goody-two-shoes cowboy was a hero. Maya wanted to puke at how cliché the situation was. He went to join the Gryffindor table amidst cheers and hollers, and Maya suddenly realized that belonging to a house not only determined your type of character, it also told you who you would have class with, hang out on weekends with, SLEEP with… Real nerves finally began to claw at her insides. The next few minutes would decide the nature of her _entire_ career at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

And Professor McGonagall was getting awfully close to the "H" section now. Her name was going to be called soon. Maya mentally braced herself. _C'mon, it doesn't really matter THAT much which house you get 're all going to give you the same opportunities, and you will get along fine in any one of them, and..._

And she already knew she was going to be in Slytherin anyways, so it didn't really matter what she told herself.

Maya stepped closer towards where the stool and hat sat at there position in the front and center of the Great Hall. There was no point in psyching herself out anymore.

 _What happens, happens._

"Maya Hart!"

Maya stepped up to the center of the room and gingerly picked up the Sorting Hat from where the last student had left it on the stool. It felt a little warm, as if recently left in the sun to bake. The face molded into it was looking at her skeptically, and she quickly shoved it on her head and plopped down on the stool before it could stare at her any longer.

The hat immediately fell over her eyes, and she felt her face heating up at the thought of how silly she probably looked.

"Why do you worry about what other people think so much, Maya Hart?"

She almost jumped out of her skin. Was that... _the hat_? In her head? Talking? Maya didn't dare breathe, waiting for the voice to pop back again. After around five seconds, it let out a long sigh that seemed to reverberate throughout her entire being.

"Don't be so nervous. What could you possibly have to be afraid of?" She clamped down the retort that whichever house she got sorted into- whichever house the Sorting Hat sorted her into - would only _determine the rest of her Hogwarts career._

"Feisty, are we?"

Could it hear inside her head?

"Of course I can see inside your mind. That's why they assigned me to do the Sorting. Now, which house to put you in..."

Maya tensed. This was it. The moment of truth. Her first step into the world of witchcraft and wizardry.

"Courage..and quite a bit of it. But I can also sense pain. Tough past, hmmm? But potential...so much potential. Very well..."

Maya was getting just a tad bit impatient. It wasn't exactly comfortable having her head picked apart by some foreign object. Just as she was about to tell it to hurry up, however, it spoke up- although this time not just to her, but to the entire room.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Cheers erupted in the room. Riley and Farkle beamed at her from the group of first years, and Lucas was hollering from the Gryffindor table along with several other students.

She blinked. _Gryffindor?_ Wasn't that the house of heroes and legends and...good?

There must have been some mistake. She tried to express the thought to the Sorting Hat, but it was promptly plucked off her head by Professor McGonagall and handed to the next first year.

 _What is going on?_ Was this the Sorting Hat's way of messing with her life? Putting her into a house where she would never belong? Maya already knew that, by most people's standards, she was anything but good, or a legend, or a hero. _And yet the Hat put you in Gryffindor..._

Heart pounding and head still reeling with shock, Maya quickly walked the twenty or so feet to the Gryffindor table, deciding that she would ponder out the rest of the recent events once the commotion had died down a little. Lucas was patting the seat next to him, a –for once– genuine smile painting his features.

"Congrats, Shorty! Almost thought you'd actually get into Slytherin, with how long the Sorting Hat took."

 _More like "why did you not get into Slytherin"..._

Maya flashed him a weak smile in reply before settling down in the seat he'd gestured at. To her right was Lucas, fat head blocking her view of the Sorting and all, and to her left was a guy with dark skin and tufty black hair. She presumed he was also a first year, but really wasn't in the mood to find out. He gave her a blinding grin when she looked at him, and Maya decided that this was a kid she either _really_ didn't want to know, or _really_ did.

Suddenly, Lucas grabbed her arm, hauling her attention back to the front of the Great Hall.

"Maya, they're getting to the Ms now. Riley and Farkle should be popping up any minute!"

Riley. Farkle. Maya was already positive that Farkle was going to Ravenclaw– after all, he had made no efforts to hide his inner nerd to her or anyone else. He would probably go on to become class valedictorian or whatnot, join whatever well-established science community the wizards had after graduation, gain fame and fortune for his ingenuity. Anyone with half a brain would be able to tell where he'd end up.

But Riley… Would she join Maya and Lucas in Gryffindor? After all, she was kind and generous and optimistic– traits Maya knew were probably valued in the house of the brave and noble. And she'd said her dad had also been a Gryffindor… But in the short time that she'd known her, Maya was already associating klutziness, an insane level of friendliness, and loyalty to those she liked as keystones of Riley's personality. Which seemed more like the description Riley had given her for Hufflepuff.

"Riley Matthews!" Well, no point in pondering any further. Maya, and everyone else, was about to find out exactly where the brunette belonged. As Riley practically skipped up to the Sorting Hat, Maya noticed offhandedly that Lucas was still holding on to her arm. The idea of shaking him off and poking fun at him for it briefly crossed her mind, before her attention was drawn back to Riley, and the large magical hat that was doing nothing to hide the ear-to-ear grin splitting her face.

 _Wonder what the Hat's saying to her…_

After a few moments, the wrinkled face set into the hat's front opened its eyes, and a single word fell from its fabricated lips.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" Maya's mouth twisted with a bitter smile. Hufflepuff. Riley was going to be in Hufflepuff. Her thoughts turned darker, however, when she realized that the brunette was going to be making new friends in her new house. Friends that weren't Maya. Spend class goofing off with them and hours helping them with homework. Waste weekends playing cards in a common room Maya wouldn't be allowed in. The blonde almost laughed at the cruel irony of it all.

Fate had given her a single friend, and that single friend had been snatched back in the same day.

 _Hey, at least you still have Ranger Rick_ , a small voice in the back of her head whispered. She shushed it immediately. After all, Lucas was _Riley's_. She had literally dubbed him "Riley's Boyfriend". Any interest he had shown in her was probably because she annoyed him, or because he wanted to use her to get closer to Riley. And there was the entire issue of Riley potentially blowing up if she so much as attempted to get closer to him…

Yeah, no. Texas boy was out of the question.

Which left her friend count back at a big fat zero.

Maya watched, detached, as Riley skipped over to the Hufflepuff table to join the students sitting there. As Lucas hollered her name when she walked past Gryffindor. As her newly gained and newly lost brunette best friend met her gaze, a mask of excitement hiding the disappointment in Riley's eyes (of course she was upset about not being a Gryffindor– after all, that was where Lucas was). As Farkle was called and immediately sorted into Ravenclaw. As the boy to her left, who she soon discovered was called "Zay", began to talk with Lucas.

As everyone became caught up in the commotion of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Maya realized with bleak resignation that she was utterly, painfully, alone again.

Weird how even a brief moment of company could make you forget how much loneliness hurt.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: 'Sup readers! I'm back with a pretty darn quick update (if I do say so myself, although I'm aware that a month is kinda a long time...). This chapter is also about twice as long as most of my other ones, so consider it a present for whatever situation you may have to celebrate at the moment!**

 **Anyways, this chapter builds a little more on Maya's social insecurities, Lucas and Maya's relationship, and, as always, the plot itself. I know Maya's tendency to turn within herself has her seeming a little mean right now, but she's going to pop out of her shell soon, and when I get more into her background things will make a little more sense.**

 **So, without further ado...**

* * *

The first day of classes went by without a hitch (much to Maya's great surprise). Although most of her professors were eccentric (to say the least– she was sure a few of them weren't even human), Maya was positive that she could easily handle the workload that had been summarized for the rest of her school year. In fact, she was almost feeling a little excited about learning things like "101 Ways to Tame a Screaming Plant" and "Defense Against the Dark Arts for Beginners". And Maya Hart had never, ever been excited about school.

The only thing that had prevented her from having what could only be described as "the perfect first day" was the fact that she hadn't had anyone to share it with. Sure, Maya was hardly what could be described as "a gossipy teenager", but she'd discovered over the years that telling her happy experiences and emotions to someone else always made them feel that much more real. Always made them last that much longer. And god knew she needed more happiness in her life.

For the eleven years of life she'd lived so far, Maya's main confidante had been her mother, Katy Hart. Despite the elder Hart having to put work first, the two of them had always found time in the evenings or before school to discuss anything they needed to get off of their chests. After all, with all they'd gone through, trust between mother and daughter had been a necessary thing for their basic survival.

But talking to Katy now meant writing everything down on paper (which Maya never felt comfortable doing, since paper could be easily taken and read), sending said paper off to her mother via owl (the mailing system here was insane, not to mention Maya didn't even own an owl), and then waiting days or weeks or even months for her reply. And by then Maya would have forgotten what exactly it was she had needed so desperately to talk about.

She could already imagine what her mother would say to her, though. _I'm not the person you should be going to for talks now, baby girl. You've got friends all around you. So use them._

And that right there was the problem. Friends. And the fact that, as of now, they didn't really exist... Sure, Maya had been thinking about Riley throughout the course of her entire day, but that was just thinking. And it wasn't really good thinking either. It seemed like whenever Maya had a spare moment, the brunette would just pop into her mind like an unexpected (and unwelcomed) guest, settling down to sprinkle rainbow and glitter everywhere. And then Maya would have to push her away repeatedly like she was some deranged whack-a-mole.

Because after the house sorting, and the rush to get settled into the dorms, and the day of classes, Maya wasn't really sure if the brief friendship she'd shared with Riley Matthews on the train was actually something to count on. And she didn't want to invest herself into a relationship that would end up breaking.

 _Look what happened last time you did that..._

Maya hadn't seen Riley all day. In fact, the only whiff she'd even heard of her "supposed BFF" was during her Charms class. Which she shared with the one, the only...Farkle Minkus.

Maya had realized very early on that classes were not always split by Houses, as she had previously thought. Most of her lessons, in fact, composed of first years from two or more houses. She had potions with the Slytherins, Herbology with the Hufflepuffs, Charms with the Ravenclaws, etc. It was probably all part of the school's way to dissuade house rivalry from getting out of hand. After all, mixing typical teenage pranks with magical spells that actually have the potential to do a LOT of damage probably never ended well for anyone.

House mixing also provided another advantage for Maya, though (if you could even call it an advantage...). For one hour during every school day, she got to see Farkle. He wouldn't exactly be her first choice when it came to friends, but hey– beggars couldn't be choosers, and she wasn't about to go around taking his one familiar face for granted. Throughout the duration of the Charms class they'd had so far, Maya had realized that getting into Ravenclaw had, if it was even possible, heightened Farkle's nerd sense. As they'd practiced chanting encantations, he talked nonstop about the history of certain spells. When Professor Flitwick went from student to student and demonstrated the spell they were learning to perform, he listed in alphabetical order which famous wizards had preferred what form of magic. He had babbled on and on and on, and Maya had been astounded by just how much useless information could come spewing out of one eleven-year-old's mouth. To put it simply, it had been an exhausting class.

But sharing a class with Farkle meant that she had at least one connection to Riley. The nerd boy and the brunette had Potions together. Maya had been eager to hear about her best friend the moment Farkle had mentioned it. She'd wanted to know what times the two of them could meet up after classes, what schedule Riley had, how Riley was doing in Hufflepuff.

The information Farkle gave her couldn't have been more disappointing. Maya hadn't wanted to know that Riley had already met a gaggle of new friends. Was already becoming popular and well-known among the Hogwarts first years. Seemed to have already forgotten about the lonely blonde girl she'd met on the train just the day before.

Obviously those weren't the words that had directly came out of Farkle's mouth regarding Riley, but Maya had deduced that much from the way he offhandedly mentioned the names of kids she didn't know, the way he laughed at a joke Riley had made at his expense, the way he didn't talk about _her_ and Riley at all.

Even though this was what she had been expecting, what she had known would happen the moment she met Riley and realized that the brunette was too special to not be accepted by people much better than her, but hearing the words spoken out loud hurt more than expected.

 _Good things come to those who break_. That had been one of Katy Hart's favorite sayings, back when she and Maya were still trying to pick up the pieces after Kermit left.

But sometimes Maya felt as if being broken simply meant that you were undeserving of anything close to "good".

 _Snap out of it, Maya! Riley is so lovable, she could probably befriend a rock if she tried hard enough. It should be no surprise to you that she's already moved on from your one-day BFF-ship on the train._

After all, who would want to be best friends with a nobody, coldhearted girl like you when there are hundreds of sweet, pretty, and probably magically-gifted girls in this castle of a school?

So she told herself it didn't hurt as much as did. That it shouldn't even hurt at all. She'd known the moment that she'd met Riley that it was too good to be true, that friendship wasn't really a thing that was supposed to happen in her life. That in their beaten down, unfair universe, good girls like Riley didn't associate with people like her.

Sure, it had been fun while it lasted. A bright spot in the churning sea of darkness. But that was all it was. A bright spot. A fleeting moment. A memory.

 _Leave it behind, Maya. Leave her behind._

Besides, screw it, Maya didn't need friends. People who walked with her only ended up getting hurt, anyways. Her father had left her mother because Maya hadn't been good enough. Her mother had to work herself to the bone because Maya couldn't support herself.

 _Independence, Hart. It's safer this way._

So throughout the course of her day, in between tuning in and out of her professors' lectures, walking across the windblown school grounds, and eavesdropping on the conversations of her fellow classmates, Maya hardened her resolve against brunette girls and smiling faces and the laughter of newly formed friendships. She cooled her mind against letting people in only to be hurt by their inevitable disappearance, wrapped up the broken shards of her soul and sold them to a hundred different bidders so that no one could ever touch it again. She caved herself in and sat in the rubble, until all that was left was the shell of the girl she had been when she first read the elaborately written letter in emerald green ink that had changed her life.

Shells were safer. Nobody tried to look inside to see if there was anything worth taking.

By the end of the school day, Maya was certain that she had reformed her invincible barrier against the rest of human kind. Had prepared herself for a schoolyear dedicated to her studies and to becoming the best witch she could be. Was well-stocked in the emotional department to handle hours and hours of loneliness.

So it had been depressing, to say the least, when _Lucas_ (of all people, really) approached her at her back table in the Gryffindor common room that evening, with his textbooks and homework balanced precariously in his arms. Maya wanted to slap fate in the face with her wand (although that would probably end up with her wand damaged, so maybe a book would work better…), because the day she turned her back on humanity was the one day that humanity decided to seek her out.

 _My life is a giant pool of irony that all who encounter will inevitably drown in. NONE ARE SAFE FROM THE DEPTHS OF MY DESPAIR!_

Yeah, she would probably go insane by the end of the week.

As she watched Lucas approach, Maya was struck at how ignorant he was about the etiquette of teenage society. She had been sitting at the back table for the SOLE PURPOSE of avoiding people. That was why people EVEN SAT AT BACK TABLES IN THE FIRST PLACE. Her eleven-year-old mind, although young, had basically reached its limit of dealing with life for that day, what with Farkle's nerd ray of death, Riley's newly sprouted social life, and the fact that she had officially begun her career as a hermit. She was NOT in the mood to banter with Mr. Heehaw Goody-Two Shoes for the next hour and a half before curfew.

 _Alright, Maya. Maybe if you don't look at him, he will TAKE A HINT and move on!_

From her peripheral vision, Lucas sat down in the single chair across from her.

 _Dammit._

He put down his books and papers.

 _Double dammit._

He started unpacking his quill and ink set.

 _Triple dammit._

He began to open his textbook.

 _Quadrup-_

"Would you please stop saying "dammit"?! I can hear you, y'know!"

Oh. Maya hadn't realized she'd been swearing out loud. And, now that she thought about it, she really didn't care that much.

 _Perhaps he'll leave sooner…_

She finally lifted her focus from her recently assigned Potions report to meet his gaze. At his raised eyebrow, she let out an exasperated huff.

"I'm sure that down in the good 'ole south it's all sunshines and rainbows, but here, when people say "bad words" like "dammit", it usually means they're unhappy about something." He continued to stare at her.

"And when people are unhappy, that usually means something happened that they _didn't want to happen_."

 _Seriously, how is he NOT getting it?_

Maya was trying to think up ways to possibly make her already-extremely obvious intent even more obvious when she noticed that a grin, of all things, was creeping at the corners of Lucas' mouth. Which meant only one thing.

 _Here we go..._

"So somebody's clearly in a bad mood today? Tough first day of school? Wanna talk about it?" The condescending tone in which he spoke his retort meant that he knew exactly what she had been talking about with "thing's people didn't want happening". He was just choosing to ignore it.

 _Fine. You wanna play that game? Prepare to lose._

Maya forced her features into a near perfect neutral expression– one she had picked up after years of waiting on less-than-polite customers during her shifts at the diner her mother worked at. She coolly returned Lucas' smirk. Leaned back in her chair.

"Actually, Ranger Rick, my first day of school went along just fine. How was yours?"

"Without a hitch, as expected."

"I'm oh so glad to hear it. Momma Heehaw and the hundreds of extended family members must all be sooooo proud of you back down in the depths of Texas, hmmm? Any letters of congratulations yet?" The amount of sarcasm dripping from her tone would have been enough to fill a bucket. Lucas, however, seemed unperterbed.

"No letters yet, I'm afraid. Although I sent one earlier. What about you, Miss I'm So Witty It Hurts? Any mail traffic going on?"

"Nah. I wouldn't want to send a letter bearing bad news."

"Ahh. So something _did_ go wrong on the Princess' first day! Tell me, what was it– did the professors not pay enough attention to you? Or did you not have anyone to sit with at lunch?"

Okay. That was crossing the line. Maya hated to admit it, but his last remark hit way too close to home for comfort. She might be cutting of socialization, but she would not stand by and get made fun of for it. The cowboy was leaving _now_.

Maya's gaze narrowed into a glare, and she saw his playful expression falter for a moment at her newfound intensity. She let him take a second to process her new mood before continuing the conversation.

"My schoolday went along fine, just so you know. It was the _evening_ of the first day that kind of made me upset, though."

"Oh? And why is that, Miss Hart?"

"Because some ding-dong hiddly-hop cowboy decided that his homework simply _needed_ to be done at the very far back table in the Gryffindor common room that people only sit at _when they want to be left alone._ "

There. She spelled it out for him. _Now if he would just leave…_

But instead of packing up his books and acknowledging the fact that she would prefer solitude, Lucas only raised his eyebrows at her before suddenly shifting his focus downwards. And, much to her dismay, he didn't reply to her statement. He began to copy notes from his Herbology textbook.

He was ignoring her. She stared at him.

 _Seriously? Is he so set on sitting with me that he's IGNORING me?_

Maya decided that enough was enough.

"Look, Hee-Haw, as much as I appreciate your cunning wit and awe-inspiring sarcasm, I'm sure you have better things to do with your time. So why on earth are you actually sitting here?"

Lucas glanced up from his work. "Um…because I want to?"

Maya was taken aback for a second. Because he _wanted_ to? Oh, please. That couldn't possibly be true. But even so, she had to push down the small tingling of hope that started to bloom in her chest at the idea that there could be a single person out there, even someone like him, who would _want_ to sit with a girl like her. That someone might care, and-

 _Stop it, Hart! Remember, it's all part of the game you two play. He's here to get on your nerves and use you for entertainment. Get him to leave, so you can continue your quest for self-encasement._

She strengthened her resolve. _Not getting hurt, not getting hurt again._ "Let me rephrase Sundance- _why_ do you want to sit here?"

The Texan boy put down his quill and gave her a look that clearly said "you're the idiot in this situation, not me". When Maya only blinked back at him, he let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair.

"Maya, I thought we were friends. And friends sit with each other. Get it?"

 _No, I don't, because we were never friends, are not friends, and will never be friends. Also, since Riley's en-crushed with you, I can't be seen associating with you or else I'll make myself her Public Enemy Number One (even though we're probably not friends anymore, I'm not going to sit here and try to make her hate me). So..._

 _I can't accept your friendship. I can't say "sure, it's all fine and dandy, let's go riding off into the sunset!". Not if Riley's still in the equation. And it's better for you anyways, if you don't talk to me. After all, anyone who ever does only ends up leaving._

She decided to try and break it to him as lightly as possible. "Look Ranger Rick– as much as I appreciate the company, I'm kinda…um…not in the mood to socialize right now…" _Wow, Hart. Real smooth._

"We're not socializing. We're doing homework." He didn't miss a beat.

Maya resisted the urge to reach across the table and throttle him. _You are NOT making this easy!_ "You know what I mean, Lucas! The point is, I want to be alone right now and you are not making that possible!"

She hadn't even realized that she'd been raising her voice until she noticed a few people around them were staring. Quickly, Maya took a deep breath and forced herself to relax.

 _Don't need to cause a scene, just need to get rid of the company._

However, she had forgotten to take into account the other half of the equation. Lucas, at this point, was actually looking upset. A twinge of guilt started to twist in Maya's stomach. Had she been too harsh?

But the boy sitting across from her didn't yell, or scream, or lose his temper in any way like she had. Instead, he simply gave her a sad smile, and started packing up his books, balancing them awkwardly once again into his arms. Maya watched him go, the satisfaction she should have felt at successfully getting rid of him mingling uncomfortably with the bitterness of remorse. Sure, she hadn't wanted to deal with him at the moment...but her goal hadn't been to hurt his feelings.

Just as she was considering maybe apologizing for her behavior, Lucas pushed in his chair and stood up straight, looking her dead in the eyes. "I hope one of these days you'll realize that pushing everyone away only makes things worse, Maya."

And with that, he was gone. Off to socialize with the other Gryffindors and leaving her just as she'd asked– alone.

" _Damn_ , Maya." She jumped, turning to her right to find a boy, dark skinned and curly haired, watching after Lucas as he walked away. It was Zay, the boy from the Sorting last night. He was sitting at a table adjacent to hers. By the expression on his face, she knew that he had probably witnessed the entire encounter.

 _Of course. The last thing I need right now is the opinion of an audience._

Even though all she really wanted to do at that moment was curl up and sort out her current mess, Maya knew that she had to tackle the company first.

 _You can think when you're alone in your dorm tonight._ She shoved all of her emotional baggage into a corner, and steeled herself for Zay's verdict. "What do you want, Zay?"

"What?" He turned to look at her. "Can't a guy enjoy the entertainment around here? It's not everyday something like _that_ happens, y'know." He gave a low whistle, and Maya decided that he had officially ranked himself above even Lucas on the "Need to Throttle" list. _Can you just LEAVE?!_

"Look Zay, I know it's probably your business to get involved in every little piece of drama that goes on within a thirty mile radius, but this is an issue that has absolutely nothing to do with you. Leave it alone, because, as you can probably tell, I am seriously _not_ in the mood to deal right now."

It's a miracle anyone can get any peace in this common room, she thought. Maya started to pack up her schoolwork from where it was scattered on her table. If people weren't going to give her her solitude, then she was going to go find it.

"Hey, hey! Sorry, Blondie, I didn't mean to make you upset." Her hands stilled, and she turned back to Zay. He was watching Lucas again, an almost knowing smile on his lips. She was about to ask him if something was going on when he spoke. "All I'm saying, Maya, is that Lucas ain't such a bad kid. It's not his goal to go around making you angry… you just gotta give him a chance sometimes, y'know?"

Really? Was this an advice column? She breathed out the two words. "A chance."

"Yeah." Zay swung a quarter circle in his chair until he was facing her full on, an elbow propping him up against the table. "A chance. One of those life-changing, miracle workin' thingies. You heard of 'em, right?"

Maya sighed. "It's not that easy, okay? I've gone through a lot when it comes to chances, and-and there are some… _other_ factors involved with this situation, and-"

"If you're talkin' about Riley, then I know all about that too." Okay, that was seriously creepy. Maya was starting to think that Zay as not only a gossip hound, but a stalker as well.

When he saw the look on her face, he promtly explained. "I have her in my History of Magic class. Bubbly thing wouldn't stop ranting about Lucas, and love at first sight." Of course. Typical Riley. This news only further confirmed the merit in her decision to cut off ties with the Texan boy. _Riley comes first, because the day I spent with her was one of the best of my life._

Losing herself in thoughts of the day before, Maya almost missed Zay's next words. "And, now that I think about it, she also wouldn't shut up about you."

Maya blinked. "Wait, Riley? She was talking about me? ...why would she talk about me?"

He gave her a look. "Uh, I dunno, 'cause you're BEST FRIENDS?"

Maya reeled back in shock. "B-but I thought…since we got in different houses…and I didn't see her at all today…"

Zay chuckled. "Nah, you're still BFFs, I know it. If Riley was that excited to talk about you, it'd be creepy if you weren't."

It took her couple seconds to find her voice again, and when she did, the only sound that could escape her lips was: "oh".

"Yeah," Zay was smiling now. "That's it. You still got a best friend, kiddo." Then his lips twisted down, as if a nasty thought just occurred to him. "Although, I can see now why being friends with Lucas might be problem for you."

Right. Lucas. The entire reason she was still talking with the kid sitting nearby.

But before Maya could say anything else, whether it be an explanation on the entire Riley-Lucas situation, a complaint about Lucas' behavior, or a question on Riley's well-being, Zay turned away from her.

"Y'know, I kinda feel sorry for you, Blondie. You are in some pretty deep doodoo right now."

* * *

 **A/N: Ahhh, Zay. Gotta love the guy, hmm?**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry for the wait guys, but the next chapter is finally here! Enjoy!**

* * *

After a long night of laying in her plush, unnecessarily fancy dorm bunk (seriously, did an eleven year old student really need drapes on her already king-sized bed?), Maya managed to reach several conclusions regarding her current situation.

Number one. She and Riley were still BFFs. And Maya would do everything in her power to keep it that way. The isolationist plan she had devised the day before had officially been scrapped for a newer (and, in her opinion, better) course of action: remain isolated, except for Riley. Because, if she was honest with herself (and an entire night sleepless in a giant fluffy bed was a lot of time to be honest), Maya didn't truly want to spend all of her years at Hogwarts alone, friendless, and pitied. She might have already gone through too much in her short life, but that didn't mean she had to live under a rock. Perhaps it was time to take some risks.

Starting with maybe trusting Riley Matthews.

Even though they wouldn't see each other in classes, there were still weekends, and holidays, and mealtimes, and probably countless other opportunities for the two girls to hang out. And Maya was willing to bet that, if she just asked Riley, the other girl would be happy to spend time with her.

That was one pressing issue down.

Number two. Maya's primary focus at Hogwarts would still be her studies. She had never been the smartest or most intellectually-inclined kid back at her old school, but, well Hogwarts was an opportunity of a lifetime. She'd learn all she could, pass with more than just the average marks, and guarantee herself a future in the world of witchcraft and wizardry so that, when she graduated, she would be able to support a better life for herself and her mother.

It wouldn't be fun. But it would pay off.

And, finally, number three.

Lucas Friar.

The policy on him was still somewhat to-be-determined, depending on where his "relationship" with Riley went. But the current decision, made by the Jury of Mayas residing in her head, was that she would spend as little time as possible with him. It was the entire "do not engage with unknown object" kinda deal. She didn't understand his motives, his position in her circle of friends, or what he wanted from her. So she would avoid him until she knew more.

But, before she began her "dodge-Lucas-Friar-like-the-plague" plan… Maya knew she owed him an apology. Now, she really, really didn't want to apologize to him. But, looking back on what she'd said to him the night before, Maya wanted to cringe at just how rude she'd been. Even her words to Zay had been far less than polite (although knowing Zay he probably hadn't even noticed). Maya may not want to be "buddy-buddy" with either of them, but that didn't mean that she wanted to make herself Public Enemy Number One in their eyes. An apology, even one given just to Lucas, would clear the air. Give them all a fresh start.

Maya had to applaud herself at how well she'd managed to organize her life in just five hours of worth of insomnia.

 _Maybe I should sleep less…_

But, the following day, the idea of sleeping less definitely lost all of its shine. She was bone tired going into classes, and barely managed to keep her eyes open in Potions (much to the chagrin of her professor, who almost gave her a detention before deciding that the second day of school was too soon for punishment, even for her "level of misconduct").

In short, it was an _awful_ school day.

The only bright spot had been the few minutes she'd gotten to speak to Riley at breakfast, before first classes began. The brunette had been completely unaware of Maya's entire inner turmoil regarding their friendship, still, as Zay had said, assuming that they were best friends (which Maya had no problem with). The two girls had made plans to hang out over the weekend, which was one checkmark off of Maya's to-do list.

One down, one more to go.

Except Maya didn't really see Lucas at all during classes, so she was unable to seek him out to deliver her apology. He wasn't even acknowledging her at any of the mealtimes either, which made Maya feel terribly guilty, knowing that it was probably due to her behavior the night before. It was kind of hypocritical that she felt guilty, though, considering that as soon as she'd cleared the air with him, and he stopped avoiding her, she would start avoiding him as according to her grand master plan.

Oh well. Life was weird like that.

So, the only surefire way Maya knew she would be able to seek Lucas out for a chat was, well, in the Gryffindor common room. After dinner. While everyone was doing their homework.

Which really, really sucked, because that was exactly when he'd sought her out yesterday, and she'd fought him off. It was karma that they were now reversing roles, and she was the one who would be going to sit with him, rather than the other way around.

 _Swallow your pride, Maya. Swallow your pride._

At approximately 8:02 PM that evening, Maya entered the Gryffindor common room after spending the afternoon holed up in her dorm, doing homework (and also trying to school her anxiety over her impending apology, but that was irrelevant). At 8:03 PM, she sat down in one of the large armchairs by the fire and opened the herbology textbook she had brought along as her cover, pretending to read it while, in reality, frantically scanning the room for Lucas. At 8:03 and two seconds, she spotted him. Sitting in the center of the dorm room. At the large circular table. Crowded by literally all of the first years in their house.

Wow. This was going to be the most difficult apology of her life, wasn't it?

Because now, not only did she have to actually face Lucas, she had to get through a giant group of their peers to do it.

Great. Just great. Thanks, whoever's up there. You've really made things easy today.

Maya decided first to wait, to see if Lucas' mini posse would dissipate any time soon. She settled deep into her chair, hiding her face behind her textbook, and preceded to read the monotonous lines of text scrawled in front of her eyes (she actually did have to do some herbology studying, so it wasn't exactly wasted time).

But, by 8:30, an entire freaking half hour later, the kids gathered around Lucas had _still_ not left. If anything, _more_ kids seemed to arrive.

By 8:40, Maya was starting to get fed up. She was tired, and sleep deprived, and had already spent WAY too much time and effort into this one single blasted "I'm sorry" to this one single blasted boy.

By 8:45, she just decided to go for it. Maya unfolded herself from her armchair, shook out her legs (which had literally started to fall asleep from sitting, that was how long she'd been there), and dropped her herbology textbook (in which she'd read all of her assigned pages not once, but twice) on a nearby coffee table. She strode over to the First Year "I Heart Lucas" Fanclub.

She didn't even know what they found so interesting about him. It was kinda creepy.

But, as she approached the large table they were all gathered around, Maya could kinda tell why the Hee Haw had been swimming in the center of attention.

Because he was levitating a book. A real, actual, leather-and-paper textbook with the title "The Book of Potions" was floating in the air. And it was Lucas who was holding the wand keeping it afloat.

Holy crap.

Levitation was one of the harder spells all first years learned in their Charms class. But somehow, Lucas Freaking Friar had figured out how to perform it months before they would actually be taught.

The other kids oohed and ahhhhed around him, and, for a few seconds, Maya allowed herself to grudgingly acknowledge his accomplishment.

Then, she broke through the circle of admirers and snatched the book out of thin air.

"Wha-"

"Aww, c'mon, what'd you do that for?"

"Who the hell do you think-"

A chorus of groans rose up from the kids around her. Lucas himself, who was sweating from his concentration on the spell, lifted his attention from the book (which she'd now dropped onto the table it had been floating above), to her, the person who had taken the book. A look of shocked surprise stole over his face, before he quickly schooled it into neutrality.

"Maya? What are you doing here?"

She took a deep breath. _Here we go…_

"Lucas, I need to talk to you."

His expression remained guarded, but he slowly slipped his wand into his back pocket. With a jolt, Maya realized that he probably didn't trust her anymore, after she'd so rudely told him off the night before.

Another reason why she had to make this a pretty damn good apology.

Maya internally grimaced. Mushy crap really wasn't her strong suit.

Lucas folded his arms across his chest and considered her, sharp eyes scanning her own. His next words sort of stung, although Maya would never admit it.

"How do I know you aren't here to just blow me off again, like yesterday?"

Maya tried to look earnest. "I'm not. Promise. Just hear me out."

Lucas continued to eye her suspiciously, then glanced at the people around them (who were all STILL AGGRAVATINGLY THERE, hanging onto every word of Lucas and Maya's conversation as if it were some TV drama they had the honor of watching live).

Then, to her surprise, he picked up the book he had been levitating, stuffed it into a book bag on the chair behind him, and slung the book bag over his shoulders.

He was…leaving?

Maya stood there in a sort of stupor, just watching him pack up his stuff, before opening her mouth.

"Hey, where are y-"

Lucas turned back to her. "I didn't think you wanted to talk in front of all of these people, did you?"

Oh. Right. Of course. She was stupid. This was embarrassing.

Maya quickly stepped around the table and followed after him, trying to force down the blush on her cheeks. _Way to be one upped, Hart. Being bossed around during what's supposed to be your own apology._

But, if her internal turmoil had shown at all, Lucas didn't seem to notice, because he just kept walking, all the way across the common room until they reached the portrait that led outside. He swung it open and climbed through, holding it ajar on the other side. Maya hesitated for just a moment before following after him.

If he wanted to talk outside, then so be it. She personally would prefer to converse somewhere warm and bright, that wasn't a drafty hallway that they technically shouldn't even be in considering that it was close to curfew, but, well, she wouldn't judge.

Lucas quietly closed the portrait behind them, led her a few steps to the side (so whoever was manning the portrait wouldn't be able to overhear their conversation), and then turned to face her.

"So, Hart. Spill."

Maya froze for a second. She hadn't honestly thought this far into her "apologize to Lucas" plan, and it seemed that, now that the time had come for her to deliver the _actual_ apology, she didn't know what to say.

So, being the great and smart and very witty character that she was, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Where did you learn to levitate that book?"

Dammit. _What in the world are you doing?_

Lucas blinked at her, clearly expecting something else to have come out of her mouth.

Perhaps _an apology_ , because that was what was _supposed_ to have come out of her mouth.

Nevertheless, he answered her question. "Well, I read about how to do it in the Charms textbook, and decided to try it. And, um, it worked."

 _Think fast, Maya!_

"That's, uh, great! Um, so…how was your day?"

 _WHAT THE FREAKIN' FREAK ARE YOU DOING, HART?!_

It turned out she was really, really bad at apologies.

But, instead of looking confused, this time Lucas' eyes narrowed in suspicion at her filler statement. "Maya, are you up to something? Because if this is a prank, it seriously isn't funny,"

"NO! No, this isn't a prank. I, just, uh…" She tugged on the ends of her hair. Why was this so difficult? It wasn't like she had pride issues. Or maybe she did. She probably did. Which was why this was so difficult.

She decided she might as well just spit it out.

"Lucas, I'm sorry."

His eyebrows quirked up.

She sighed. "I was really rude to you last night, and my conscience decided to exist and make me feel guilty about it, so now I'm apologizing to you."

He continued to stare at her.

She started to ramble. "Only, I don't really apologize to people a lot so I'm really bad at it, which was why probably why you thought I was pranking you- which I'm not, by the way, if you still think that- and now you're staring at me and it's really starting to get creepy-"

He burst out laughing.

Maya stood there, shocked into silence, for about a minute, until his hysterics had started to die down. Then indignation surged through her. Ok, here she was, APOLOGIZING to the dunce, and he was _laughing_? Nuh uh. No can do. This was not cool.

"Look, Ranger Roy, if you think this is all so funny I can just take my apology right back-"

"No, no, don't do t-that. Sorry, I just couldn't h-help myself."

At seeing the look on her face, he doubled over again, shaking.

Maya's anger started to turn into seeping hurt. Did he really think it was so ridiculous, her, seeking him out for an apology? Did she look so stupid, standing in front of him, saying sorry, that it was enough to have him dying from amusement?

Finally, Lucas calmed down enough to speak. She detected no hint of malice in his eyes though, when his gaze met her own.

"Sorry, Maya. I just, well," he scratched the back of his head in a very cowboy-like manner. "I just never thought I'd see the day where _Maya Hart_ apologized to anyone. You always seem so fearless, y'know? No regrets, no apologies, that sort of thing."

Maya blinked at him. Her? Fearless? She spent almost every second of every day of her life questioning herself. And her list of regrets probably stood taller than the Empire State Building.

Did he really see her as somebody that, well, untouchable?

As she stood there, pondering his words, Lucas shifted uncomfortably. He ran a hand through his hair, making it stand on end, and Maya knew that she should probably say something, only she didn't really know what.

How were you supposed to respond to a probably-indirect-compliment-but-not-really-because-it-served-as-an-explanation-to-what-was-probably-an-insult?

After a tense beat, Lucas spoke again. "Sorry if I offended you. I'm, uh, actually really grateful for that apology. It's nice to know you don't hate me."

Oh. Well, she'd never hated him. Things were just… complicated.

Only he didn't need to know that, so Maya simply shrugged. "Yeah, well, I'm not completely evil."

Lucas grinned. "So, does this mean I can sit with you in the common room now?"

Maya's mind instantly flashed to Riley, and how much it would probably hurt the other girl to know that Lucas and Maya were hanging out after classes.

Which was why they wouldn't be hanging out after classes.

Sure, a part of Maya definitely thought it would be interesting, bantering with the Texan in the evenings, but, well…

 _Riley comes first. And Lucas is Riley's._

So Maya gave Lucas a small smile, but shook her head. "Sorry, Hee Haw. I'm afraid I'm gonna be too bogged down with homework in the evenings to listen to your campfire tales."

Lucas frowned. "I can't even sit with you?"

She sighed. Maybe being straightforward was the best course of action in this case. "Look, there's some really complicated stuff going on, and-"

"What's wrong with me sitting with you?"

"Nothing! It's not about you-"

"If there's nothing wrong with me, then why can't I sit with you?"

"Because…well, um…" It wasn't like he would understand the entire girl-code not-hanging-out-with-BFF's-crush thing if she told him. He was a guy. Guys didn't get this stuff.

Maya frantically spit out the first reason that came to mind.

"Because I don't think you really want to sit with me."

Surprisingly, Maya realized that the words she'd just spoken did have a ring of truth. Lucas was a classic "movie protagonist" kind of guy, with hordes of friends and teachers fighting over a chance to be a part of his higher education. Maya was, well…Maya. It didn't even really make sense that they were even half-friends/acquaintances at all, let alone that he wanted to get to know her better.

But Lucas clearly wasn't understanding anything that came out of her mouth today, or the fact that hanging out with her would be like social suicide, because he asked, "Why wouldn't I want to sit with you?"

Maya simply let out a huff. "Lucas, just trust me when I say that spending time with me would not be in your best interest. K?"

Lucas stared straight at her. He was definitely starting to look upset now. _Uh oh._ "No, not 'K'. I'm really getting tired of this crap, Maya! You're nice to me one second, then completely rude the next. And when I try to get closer to you, all you do is push me away! Do you have a problem with me or something? 'Cause if you do, I think I deserve to know what it is!"

Maya dropped her eyes from his. The worm of guilt came nosing its way back into her stomach. Her hot and cold behavior towards Lucas had been pretty unfair.

But it wasn't like she could just alter the circumstances. Riley would be deeply wounded if Maya went behind her back and became tight buds with Lucas. Maya couldn't let him in.

But she also didn't really want to lose him completely by always shutting him out.

So, she compromised. _It's only for this one thing. Sorry, Riley._

"Fine," she said to Lucas. "We can hang out in the common room once a week, if you want to chill with me that badly. Just, don't tell Riley. Like, ever."

"Maya, if you have a problem with me, I'd like to know what it is-"

"I don't have a problem with you." Her voice was firm. _Please please please don't drag this out, Lucas._ "You can sit with me in the common room."

Lucas searched her face for a minute, before he finally conceded her point.

 _Thank God._

"Alright," he said. "I'll see you tomorrow evening."

He walked back to the portrait entrance to the Gryffindor common room, whispering the secret word and swinging it open. He was halfway inside before he turned to look at her once more.

"But don't think this conversation is over just yet. You still have a lot of explaining to do."

Of course it wasn't. Because, knowing Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes, he would get to the bottom of this if it was the last thing his brave southern heart did. Stubborn people were so infuriating. Although that was really hyprocritical, coming from her.

Maya watched him climb all the way through the painting, boots clomping as he made his way back to the warmth of the common room, before following after him.

It was only the second day of school. And her life was already way too complicated for her own good.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hello guys! Sorry for the wait, but Chapter 10 is finally here! Woohoo! This one's pretty long, so I hope you guys like :). The next couple chapters are probably gonna include several time-skips, since it's a bit difficult to develop the relationships with them being so young. This is most likely the last chapter where they are still first-years. Anyways, things are picking up, so stay tuned!**

 **Also, a huge shoutout to everyone who has reviewed so far! Your comments are all incredibly motivating, and I'm so grateful for your words of encouragement! And, again, I'm still open to suggestions regarding who to pair Riley off with, so...**

* * *

The weeks after her little mishap with Lucas Friar passed by rather quickly, to Maya's great surprise. Things fell into a rhythm at Hogwarts- classes, meals, homework, repeat. She had a friend-group: her, Riley, and Farkle, mostly, although Lucas sometimes popped in to talk, or to make fun of Maya (much to her great annoyance). They hung out before and after classes, or out in the Hogwarts yard on weekends, and Maya had to admit that letting people in wasn't so bad if Riley and Farkle and, yeah, maybe even Lucas, were the people in question.

Trust. She was starting to trust them. And, for the first time, the notion wasn't that terrifying.

Before she knew it, Maya had already survived the brunt of her first semester at Hogwarts. Winter vacation was a week away, and the entire population of Hogwarts was bustling about, packing their bags for the holidays, exchanging early Christmas presents, and playing around with the intriguing magical decorations the staff had set about the Hogwarts' grounds. Caught up in the excitement, Maya barely remembered the fact that having a holiday meant that she needed a holiday plan, until a letter arrived through owl mail (Maya was still wrapping her mind around the entire owl mail thing) from her mother the eve before vacations were scheduled to begin. It read:

 _Babygirl,_

 _The magic and spells and whatnot you described in your last letter sound unbelievable! I'm simply amazed that we normal people haven't yet figured out that all of this witchcraft is hiding right under our noses! Anyhow, I'm glad to hear that you're having fun and all sorts of adventures at your new school- I know school and making friends have never been up your alley, so I can't even describe how proud of you I am for working through that!_

 _Now, since you and I both know that I'm not the kind of mother who just writes letters to her daughter for no purpose, there is a real reason why I'm writing you. I know your holiday break must be coming up, and that you were probably assuming that you would spend your time off at home. I'm sorry sweetheart, but I just don't think I'm going to be able to make that happen. We've been in a pretty rough financial situation for the past few months- I was laid off my second job, and the rent for our apartment rose. I'm afraid we simply don't have the funds to fly you all the way back to New York. Is it alright if you stay at Hogwarts for Christmas and New Years? I'm sure at least one of your new friends must also be staying behind, so it might even be a fun experience :). I'll let you know as soon as I can when I manage to pick up another part-time job, and I'm sure we'll be able to get you home for the summer holiday without a hitch._

 _Hugs and Kisses,_

 _Mom_

Maya, in fact, had been planning on spending her Christmas break back in New York. She had missed her mom, and her old hangouts around the city, and there really wasn't anything quite like driving out to watch the Big Apple drop in New York City at the turn of the new year. It had been a tradition of the Harts since as far back as Maya could remember- back before her father had left.

Except that now the tradition would be broken, because one half of the Hart clan (aka Maya) would not be there to enjoy it.

Maya had read and reread the Katy Hart's letter several times before the information fully sunk in. At eleven years old, she was being left to the wolves for her holiday vacation. What would she even do at Hogwarts while everyone else was away? Riley would be flying back to America to be with her parents and younger brother- Maya knew that the Matthews were a close-knit family, and that it had been tough on them to have their oldest child out of the nest so soon. Farkle, as well, was leaving for a Muggle science camp or something and would not be around- yes, his family was actually shipping their kid off for more education during his winter holiday. Maya didn't know what Lucas' plans were, but she didn't particularly care to find them out- after all, Maya and Lucas were not close.

They were not supposed to be close.

So, if Lucas also had some great, fantastic holiday agenda planned, Maya didn't need to know. And if he, like her, was stuck at Hogwarts over Christmas, well, that also didn't matter. It wasn't like she'd spend time with him if he stayed behind anyways.

* * *

In the months since their acclimation to the Hogwarts lifestyle, Riley and Maya had gotten closer than ever. The two girls just clicked- their personalities, while complete opposites, came together to form a bond that few first years at the school could claim to have developed.

However, as near as Riley and Maya drew, just as strong was the budding "something" between Riley and Lucas. By this point, almost half of the school was aware of Riley's schoolgirl crush on the Texan. It was very clear that they would be extremely compatible, with Riley's sweet nature and Lucas' chivalrous manner. Theirs was a fairytale relationship waiting to happen- and Maya, along with everyone else, sat in tense anticipation for the day when one of them (dunceheads that they were) would say something, or make a move.

Because one of them _would_ make a move.

To Maya, the move should already have happened. It should have been made by Lucas, at some remote spot in the courtyard or hallways, and he should have asked Riley out, and she should have said yes, and the entire issue should have already been resolved. Even though they were only eleven years old (and, to most people, far too young for lasting romantic relationships), Maya was anxious that Riley and Lucas fall into their places next to each other.

Because the sooner they got together, the sooner Maya could stop worrying so much about staying away from Lucas.

The second most obvious thing about Lucas and Riley, next to the fact that they were meant to be, was how insecure Riley was about Lucas' feelings towards her. Riley was always fretting about what he thought of her clothes (even though all they ever wore were robes...), or what she said, or how she acted. Frankly, Maya thought this behavior was pointless, since Riley was perfect just the way she was and if Lucas couldn't see that then he deserved to burn in the fiery depths of purgatory, but it was impossible to convince Riley to believe in herself.

Yet, the fretting Maya could handle.

It was the jealousy that went hand in hand with the fretting that gave the blonde cause for worry.

Because, as of now, the biggest source of jealousy for Riley over Lucas was Maya.

Maya had always made an effort to stay away from Lucas. Even from the first few days when they'd all just met each other, the blonde had known, as clearly as she knew her own name, that Maya+Lucas was not a relationship that she could permit to get very far if Riley+Maya was a relationship she wanted to save.

Inverse relationship, even though Maya wasn't an expert at math. As one bond strengthened, the other had to weaken. And right now, the bond Maya prioritized was Riley+Maya.

However, as they got to know each other better, Lucas and Maya's relationship had slowly expanded, much to her chagrin. Their "common room study sessions only" interactions turned into casual conversations in the hallway, or eating side by side at the Gryffindor table for dinner, or walking together between the classes they shared. Both of them knew these were only acts of friendship. After all, Maya would never betray Riley, and Lucas, well, Lucas would never be interested in Maya.

The problem was getting Riley to trust all of it.

Maya and Riley were one of those duos who rarely, if ever, fought. Throughout the course of their four month friendship they had had exactly two half-argument things. And both of them had been over Maya's budding friendship with Lucas.

They went something like this:

Riley: "Peaches, have you seen Lucas at all today?"

Maya: "Um, we ate breakfast together in the dining hall. Other than that, no. How come?"

Riley: "Oh, nothing. I was just wondering. How was your breakfast?"

Maya: *insert shrug* "It was breakfast. I ate a waffle. He ate something healthy like he always does. I made him eat a waffle too because it's a crime to eat breakfast without at least one unhealthy item. Nothing out of the ordinary."

Riley: "He always eats something healthy? Do you guys have breakfast together often?"

Maya: "A couple times a week?"

Riley: "Really? I always thought neither of you ate breakfast, since you're never in the dining hall when Farkle and I are there."

Maya: "Oh, both of us get up really late. We're usually the last people left eating."

Riley: "That sounds nice."

Maya: "Um, when we aren't late to classes, I guess."

Riley: "Maybe I'll join you one of these days."

Maya: "Okay. Sure. That would be fun."

Riley: "Okay."

...

Riley: "You and Lucas seem to be spending a lot of time together."

Maya: "We're friends, Riley. That's it."

Riley: "Are you sure?"

Maya: "Yes. Besides, it's not like I would ever be interested in his howdy-towty southern ways. He's annoying."

Riley: "No he's not!"

Maya: "Uh, have you heard him talk?"

And so on and so forth Maya would steer the conversation towards safer territory, such as making fun of Lucas or something equally cheerful.

Maya was terrified that these small, not-even-arguments would escalate into actual skirmishes that could terminate her relationship was Riley. She didn't blame Riley for initiating them- after all, Maya herself was a pretty territorial person, and she had went bull-dog on several of the guys who had tried to make a move on her mother in the years since her father had left. Maya understood that Riley was navigating the world of crushes and teenage drama for the first time in her life, and, while Maya herself was just as new to the entire "girl-likes-boy-now-everyone-has-to-deal-with-the-stress-of-girl-liking-boy" thing, it wasn't Riley's fault that she was bothered when another girl, even her best friend, was spending one-on-one time with her future BF.

Which brought everything back full circle to the issue of holiday break.

And how, no matter what Lucas' plans were, Maya was not to be a part of them.

* * *

It appeared that Maya was one of those special chosen people in the world whose plans just never, ever worked out.

Lucas, not-that-Maya-cared, stayed behind at Hogwarts over vacation as well- something about airlines not lining up or his family visiting relatives elsewhere. That was fine. He would chill with his popular, other friends and Maya could hunker down for a beautiful, wonderful week of holiday food binging, spell practicing, and sleeping.

Alone.

Away from him.

Except her holiday vacation ended up like this instead:

Day 1:

Lucas is in the dining room when Maya walks in at 10 AM. He turns towards her upon hearing her footsteps, which forces her to abandon her plan of walking out without acknowledging him and eating later when he left. Maya sits near him, because they always sat near each other for breakfast during the school weeks and it would be awkward if she suddenly started avoiding him (but school weeks were acceptable because other people were around, and now there were no other people around since apparently everyone got up wicked early on holiday mornings). Conversation ensues, in which Lucas somehow manages to rope Maya into spending the day playing wizards chess with him and Zay in the library.

Operation Stay-Away-From-Lucas: Fail.

Day 2:

Maya's guilty conscience is eating away at her soul due to the failures of Day 1, and in order to prevent the all-consuming darkness from burying her in a pit of self-loathing, she skips breakfast and avoids the library. However, as she is leaving the Gryffindor common room for a late lunch, she is promptly stopped by Lucas who was picking something up from his dorm room, and dragged off to the library for more Lucas-Zay-Maya time.

Operation Stay-Away-From-Lucas: Another fail.

Day 3:

Maya refuses to skip breakfast like a ninny, and decides that it doesn't really matter that much if she sees Lucas, or talks to him, or even if she hangs out with him and plays chess with him.

She was allowed to enjoy herself, and she wasn't going to her starve simply because he existed.

To spare her conscience, however, she goes to breakfast earlier (9 AM), and, to her surprise, is greeted by a pleasantly sparse Gryffindor table with no annoying Texans in sight. She relaxes and takes her time pigging out on the feast laid before her (she never realized how fantastic Hogwarts' breakfast was since she missed it yesterday),

Sadly, she takes too much time and Lucas Friar pops into the dining room at 9:30 AM and convinces her she has to help him crush Zay's sorry face in some new card game they had started up.

Operation Stay-Away-From-Lucas: This was seriously getting tiring.

On the bright side, Zay lost by a tremendous margin, so it was kinda worth it.

Day 4:

Maya just heads to the library after breakfast and saves both her and Lucas the trouble.

Operation Stay-Away-From-Lucas: Officially abandoned.

Days 5, 6, and every other day:

Maya chills with Lucas and Zay and manages to convince her conscience that since Zay has been with her and Lucas the entire time, she was not technically betraying Riley.

However, on the last day before classes were to begin once more, while the three of them lounged around lazily in the common room (the library was closed to students at the time due to a bit of mild flooding that had occurred near the Restricted section), Zay left for the restroom, leaving Maya and Lucas alone.

"You know, Maya," Lucas began, "this has been a surprisingly fun vacation, considering my folks abandoned me here to rot for a week."

"Yeah, it was better than I expected," Maya replied.

Lucas gave her a grin then, and said something she wasn't quite expecting. "We should do this more often."

Maya eyed him suspiciously. "Do what?"

"Like, hang out. You, me, and Zay."

Maya's breach-of-girl-code alarm bells immediately went off. Nope. Nope nope nope. She was flattered that Lucas had enjoyed her company enough to ask for more of it, but she was having a hard enough time justifying to herself that spending all of holiday break with him was not a crime worthy of capital punishment.

Spending time with him beyond holiday break? Yeah, not going to happen. She wasn't in the mood to fling Riley+Maya out the window.

She could already picture Riley's face at the notion that Lucas, Zay, and Maya were hanging out regularly, separete from the rest of their friend group.

It wasn't a pretty picture.

Maya did her best to throw Lucas off of his current thought process.

"Yeah, maybe," she said offhandedly, her eyes not exactly averting from his, but also not meeting his.

 _If I don't make it a big deal, maybe he'll forget and move on. Please just drop the subject, Ranger Rick. I would prefer to end my vacation off on a pleasant note..._

Naturally, he wasn't that obliging. Lucas, taking her neutrality for acquiescence, continued his train of thought excitedly. "We should set up weekly meetings, or something. Maybe every Wednesday afternoon we could get together in the library and play chess, or that poker thing Zay keeps going on about, or whatever other games there are. It'll be fun. You and Zay are both free on Wednesday's, right?"

Maya again shrugged noncommittally. "I don't know. I'll have to check."

Lucas continued to blabber on for a few more seconds, and Maya slowly tuned him out, focusing on picking a piece of lint off of her robe and praying that he would move onto safer conversation topics. Suddenly, he stopped talking altogether. She looked up and saw that he was staring at her.

"You're not even listening to me, are you?" Crap.

"No, of course I am!" She cursed herself for allowing her vacancy to show so obviously. Five years of not paying attention in school classes should have given her enough practice to not get caught in the act.

"Then what did I say?" Lucas pressed.

Of course he pressed.

Maya scrambled to her feet. "Um... Hey, haven't you noticed that Zay's been gone for quite a long time now? Maybe we should go look for him?"

She started for the door, ready to make a quick exit, but was abruptly pulled back into her chair by the sleeve of her robe.

"Maya, that was the absolute worst attempt at a getaway I have ever witnessed." He looked amused, but also annoyed. When he was satisfied she wasn't going to try to run again, he released her sleeve.

"Okay, fine," Maya crossed her arms over her chest and sunk back into her armchair. "I'm sorry I wasn't paying as much attention to you as your oh-so-tender southern heart requires."

Lucas didn't reply; he just stared at her for a couple beats before saying carefully, "...you don't actually want to hang out more with me and Zay, do you?"

Okay, Lucas was a psychic. Maya was positive he was secretly studying divination or whatnot, because there was no way he could have guessed that just from staring at her face.

Then again, the three of them hanging out more had been what he had been blabbering about for the past five minutes, so maybe it wasn't that surprising that he concluded her lack of attention as a result of a lack of interest in the subject.

Either way, it was now a very big problem that she had to fix.

Maya entered rapid-conversation-repair mode.

"What? No, I definitely want to hang out more with you and Zay! Poker, and, uh, chess sound great!"

Lucas' expression remained dubious, but to her relief he let her not-paying-attention mess up slide.

"Alright. Well, we can talk to Zay more about scheduling, and then that should be all figured out."

Oh, wait. She had just encouraged him to carry through with the entire "let's hang out more" deal". Too caught up in trying to cover up her blunder, Maya had forgotten that the reason she had blundered in the first place was because she didn't want him to initiate more hanging out.

Crap.

As Lucas kept talking, Maya thought frantically for a way to backtrack and dig herself out of the hole she was currently lying in. Curse her brain for tuning out of the conversation! As she whirred to think up excuses as to why she absolutely could not spend more time with Lucas and Zay, even though _definitely_ wanted to since that was what she had told him by mistake, a change in Lucas' voice suddenly caught her attention.

His eyes had taken on a serious note as well, and, as she met them with her own, she saw that he was wearing the look he always wore when he was saying something important and the person he was saying the important stuff to was supposed to be listening wholeheartedly. Maya listened.

"-and I'm really glad we were able to sort out our differences. I like you a lot, Maya. You're actually pretty fun when you're not insulting me, and while your southern jokes are incredibly offensive, I have to admit you've grown on me. I-"

Okay, this was not good. The conversation had turned from "dangerous territory" to "dropping off of a cliff in 3, 2, 1" territory. The dread that had been washing over her before was now a full-fledged tidal wave.

He liked her? She'd grown on him?

Nope, not good. Not good at all. She was the captain of the Lucas-Riley ship, and Lucas, one of the key players aboard her vessel, had just committed mutiny.

He wasn't supposed to say things like "I like you" and "you've grown on me" to her, however innocent they may be.

He was supposed to say them to Riley.

In her panic, Maya reached out and clamped her hand over Lucas' mouth.

He stared at her, wide-eyed, before prying her palm away from his face and glaring at her.

"What was that for?"

For a moment, Maya wasn't quite sure how to respond. How were you supposed to tell someone that it was against the rules for them to say nice things to you, or for them to try and get closer to you, and that, while you appreciated the sentiment, they should probably be glad that no one had overheard their conversation with you rather than upset that you had cut it short?

"Well?" Lucas was glaring now, but there was hurt underlying the anger.

Maya's mind searched frantically for the perfect thing to say, anything to say, to patch up the mess she was now stuck in. The entire situation felt far too much like their first big argument over her blowup about common room seating. She didn't want to hurt him; she'd never wanted to hurt him but it just always seemed to end up happening when he started _talking_ like was doing now, and like he had back in the Gryffindor corridor, and she had to shut him down, and why oh _why_ did he keep putting her into these situations where she had no choice but to hurt him?

But that, she realized with a sinking heart, was the way the world worked.

You couldn't shut someone out, or push them away from you, without hurting them.

And Maya was always going to have to push him away.

Which meant she was always going to have to hurt him.

 _I'm sorry, Lucas._

Steeling herself, Maya fixed flashing blue eyes on the similarly bright eyes of her companion, the boy who just wouldn't stay away, and composed her face to read as indifferent as it could.

And then she spoke. "Sorry. You were speaking kinda loud, and I didn't want anyone to overhear our conversation."

Even to her ears, her voice sounded cold. Maya averted her gaze from his so she wouldn't have to watch his features crumble. If she watched, she'd probably end up begging for his forgiveness and making everything worse.

Lucas' voice was somewhat bewildered when he replied. She had not given him the response he had been expecting. "I wasn't aware that what I was saying was something we were supposed to be hiding."

Maya shrugged, eyes still cast down. "There are a lot of things you aren't aware of."

There was a pause.

Then he spoke, his voice distant and as icy as her own. "But you're not going to tell me what they are."

"No. I'm not."

From her peripheral vision she saw his fists clench. "Maya, I've tried my hardest to gain your trust. I want to be your friend."

It was an open statement, and Maya knew he was giving her a chance to fix this. To tell him she was truly sorry, or that she hadn't meant to offend him, or that she would try harder to be a better person and whatever else he wanted to hear.

She stayed silent.

A stillness settled between them for the briefest of moments, and then there was the creak of chair springs as he pushed himself up from his seat. The fall of footsteps as he strode to the opposite side of the common room where the boys' dormitories were. The echo of guilt as he disappeared from view.

Maya sat there for a little while longer, telling herself over and over again that it was for the best, that it would have made everything worse if she had accepted his kindness towards her and allowed him to deepen their connection.

 _It's easier if he just thinks I'm a cruel person. His hurt will make him leave me alone._

She bit back a cry of frustration. Why was friendship so damn complicated? Maya almost missed the days when she didn't have friends. Everything was simple back then. No Lucas trying to get close to her, no Riley acting jealous, no anyone at all she had to worry about besides herself and her mother.

And, of course, no Zay, who had only now returned from his extremely long bathroom break and was staring at her, and the empty chair beside her, as if World War III had occurred while he was gone.

"Maya? Did something happen while I was...?"

Maya jumped up from her seat. She was so not in the mood to deal with another idiotic member of the male specimen at this point.

"Nothing happened, Zay. Lucas got tired and left, that's all." She gave him a blinding smile, and then brushed past him and beelined for the girls' dormitory entrance. "Hope you had a nice time at the bathroom!"

She knew he was staring after her, probably as if she was insane, but Maya didn't care. Zay would get over it.

The question was, would Lucas?

* * *

She got her answer the very next week.

Lucas Friar asked Riley Matthews in the library after school if she would be his girlfriend.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long guys. I've had a really busy summer, so I didn't have as much time to work on this (although no excuse will make up for the wait...again, sorry :(). Anyhow, next chapter! Woohoo! The timeline is gonna start skipping around just a bit, so I can speed it up to when they're older and can do more stuff :)).**

 **So... Enjoy!**

* * *

"Oh my god guys, guess what I just picked up?"

Riley came squealing over to their library table, a flyer in her hand, cheeks squished high up on her face with the width of her smile. Maya's eyes narrowed slightly. When Riley got this excited, it was either something fantastically amazing, or something that would undoubtedly end in their public humiliation.

More often than not, it was the public humiliation.

From across the table, Lucas's lips curled up in a grin that matched his girlfriend's. Maya was positive he knew as well as she did that the source of Riley's glee was likely to be their demise. However, Lucas was one of those people who always made an effort to act happy when his friends were happy.

Maya frowned. Since when did she notice the habits of Lucas "The Cowboy" Friar?

It was the start of second year now, and life at Hogwarts had already settled into the same hectic monotony that Maya remembered spending her first year in. Classes were tougher, for sure, but luckily Maya was friends with Farkle the Child Genius, who agreed to tutor (aka teach) her. The two of them set up regular study sessions in the library, which, after the first couple of weeks, Riley and Lucas began to tag along on.

That was nice sometimes, since Riley and Lucas were both good students and took excellent notes.

But it was also awkward. Because part of the reason that Maya and Farkle started hanging out alone to begin with was so that they could avoid feeling like third and fourth wheels to the all-permeating Rucas relationship.

Now, it wasn't that Farkle and Maya had any problems with Riley and Lucas dating.

It was just that they had problems being around their friends now that they were dating.

Rucas was so... _picture perfect_ , all the time, that it got, well, annoying.

Lucas always held her hand, and opened doors, and pulled out chairs, and was so damn chivalrous Maya wanted to throw up. Riley's face lit up whenever he entered the room, and the puppy dog/anime eyes she constantly directed towards him made Maya want to gouge her own eyes out and hope she was never, ever caught dead looking at any boy like that.

Sure, Maya appreciated her fairy tale happy endings as much as the next girl. But there was just something about the Rucas ship that, to her, seemed...shallow. As if they didn't really like each other so much as the idea that the other represented. Lucas was Riley's knight in shining armor. Riley was Lucas' damsel in distress. They were supposed to be together, and so... they were.

Deep down, Maya just had this nagging feeling that it wasn't right. Maybe it was because they had only known each other for three months before they got together. Maybe it was because they were both a little too young for romantic relationships, in Maya's opinion. Maybe it was because they had a Hogwarts fan following larger than that of Star Wars, and she swore to the heavens that there was at least one first year writing fanfiction about them.

Maybe it was just Maya finding it weird that her best friend and one of her other friends/not-really-friends-because-she-had-literally-told-him-she-didn't-want-to-be-friends were dating.

She knew she was most likely overthinking it. After all, it wasn't like they had declared their intentions to marry each other or whatnot (although Riley had already started planning the nuptials...). If they broke up, it would take them, what, a month to get over it? Maybe two for Riley?

People didn't start to get serious about their relationships until they were, like fifteen. And if Lucas and Riley were still together by then, then the couple was bound to be rock solid. Maya's anxiety probably just lay in the fact that she didn't think they knew each other well enough yet. Or in the notion that she knew Riley really liked Lucas, and so was excessively concerned over the health of their affair in fear of Riley's heart being broken.

Yeah. That was it.

"Whatcha got there, Riles?" Maya nodded to the flyer in Riley's hand, taking the plunge and initiating the unavoidable "Riley is excited" rant that occurred whenever Riley was, well, excited. The brunette squealed yet again, and then flattened out the flyer she had been holding on the table in front of the group.

"Guys... we are trying out for Quidditch!"

Maya stared at the flyer. Lucas nodded, as if this was something he already knew all about. Farkle ran out of the library screaming.

The flyer read as follows:

* * *

 _HOGWARTS HOUSE QUIDDITCH TRYOUTS_

 _Every day after classes next week. The order of tryout dates by house is as follows:_

 _Ravenclaw_

 _Hufflepuff_

 _Gryffindor_

 _Slytherin_

 _All students seeking to play competitive Quidditch this school year should attend tryouts on their house's assigned date._

 _Hope to see you there, and best of luck!_

 _The Quidditch Captains_

* * *

Quidditch? Them?

Riley couldn't be serious. Lucas, maybe. Maya? Hell no. Riley? The funeral choir might as well start singing now.

Maya and Lucas looked at each other.

 _You tell her._

 _No, you're her best friend. You do it._

 _You're her boyfriend. Isn't it your responsibility to keep her safe?_

 _I'm the nice guy in this group! You're supposed to be the mean, honest one. You'll do a better job of shutting her down than I will._

 _No, like you just said, I'm the mean one. You're the nice one. You can shut her down nicely._

 _I shut her down nicely every time!_

 _That's because I'm fantastic at these little mind games and win every time. You might as well start figuring out how you're gonna break it to her now..._

 _..._

 _I hate you._

 _Love you too, Sundance :)._

"Um...guys?" Riley was looking back and forth between them, clearly confused. Maya tore her gaze away from Lucas and smiled sweetly at her.

"Sorry, pumpkin. Heehaw and I were just coming to an...agreement."

"I wouldn't call it that," Lucas muttered, but didn't argue the point. Riley continued to wait for somebody to explain the situation to her. Lucas took a deep breath.

"Um... Riley... so, uh, Maya and I both love Quidditch very much. We think your idea is...um...great, but, well..."

 _Maya sent Lucas a glare._

 _Hurry up. At this rate we'll be here for another hour._

 _I'm trying! Would you like to take over?!_

 _Yeah, no. Just keep doing what you're doing but get to the point faster._

 _This is ridiculous. I don't know why I let you walk all over me..._

 _I don't think anyone does. Now keep talking before she gets suspicious again._

"Riley, are you sure that having, um, _all_ of us try out for Quidditch is the best idea?"

Riley blinked. Maya held her breath. But, much to Maya's relief, her best friend nodded sagely. Maya and Lucas exchanged surprised looks.

"You're right," Riley glanced toward the library doors across the room. "We shouldn't make Farkle do something he doesn't want to. I mean, he ran out of here screaming the minute I said the word 'Quidditch'. Besides, we need at least one hardcore fan, right?"

Well, that went well. Lucas was still looking at Maya, with an expression that clearly read "your turn now, buster". Maya narrowed her eyes at him, but then focused on Riley.

To be encouraging, or pragmatic? To support her best friend into a hopeless endeavor, or to crush her dreams but save her from inevitable disappointment and embarrassment? Maya wished someone out there would write a book titled "Friendship 101" so she could reference it when unfamiliar and impossible decisions like this one were placed before her.

"Riley... we're not just talking about Farkle..."

"Are you scared, Maya? 'Cause I promise you, Quidditch is a lot of fun! Sure the balls go kinda fast, but once you start practicing it's really not that bad-"

"Riley, have you ever played Quidditch before?"

"Well...no...But my parents have told me lots of stories from when they were at Hogwarts! Both my dad and my mom were Quidditch players, and good ones too, and now that I'm finally old enough to try out, I can follow in their footsteps as the next Majestic Matthews!"

Maya stared at her. "Majestic Matthews? Was that really what they called your dad?"

Riley gave a sheepish look. "Well, a lot of his friends did, but mostly to make fun of him because he was always so concerned about his posture on his broomstick. Said that straightening your back was how the 'ancient ones' rode their brooms, or something. He read about it in one of the history textbooks."

"And he believed it?" Maya didn't think it was possible to always ride a broom with a straight back. She usually hunched her shoulders slightly for better grip.

"Oh, yeah. My dad's kinda a history freak. He says that history is the best teacher for the present, believes anything that's written in a history text, and has told me repeatedly that if I do not straighten my back on my broom then I will be cursed and die."

"Wow."

Suddenly, Maya felt a nudge to her foot. She looked down and saw that Lucas had kicked her.

 _What?_

 _Now who's taking a long time? Stop getting off topic and tell her she shouldn't play already._

 _I'm wearing her down first! It's a strategy._

 _Right. And I want to go prancing off into the sunset on a milk cow._

 _I knew you were a cowboy at heart._

 _Maya..._

 _Fine, fine. But stop distracting me._

"-and my dad said that I can have his Nimbus 2000 broomstick from when he was in school once I make the team, although I'm not sure if he was being sarcastic or not because he doesn't let anyone touch that thing, not even my mom-"

"Riley."

"Yes, peaches?"

"Are you sure Quidditch is something you want to do?"

"Well, yeah! What do you mean?"

"It's just that, uh, it takes up a lot of time, and requires a lot of commitment. I know you're already really busy with all of your classes, all of us are, and-"

"You guys don't think I can handle it?" Riley's face crumbled. Maya thought frantically of ways to save the situation, was there anything nice she could say?-

Before Maya could utter another word, Lucas intervened.

"Riley... it's not that we don't think you could handle it, it's just that... well... you're kinda... clumsy."

Wow. Lucas laying it out there as it was. Maya gave the boy a curious look. That was unexpected.

However, Riley, instead of being the blubbering mess that Maya was expecting, actually now looked... less upset. And did she just let out a... _relieved sigh_?

"So that's what it is. I was waiting for at least one of the two of you to finish talking circles around yourselves and tell me what the actual problem was."

Oh. Maya and Lucas clearly gave her ignorance too much credit.

Then again, they weren't exactly subtle...

Maya blinked slowly, unsure what to say. Lucas rubbed the back of his neck. When the silence stretched on for a tad too long, Riley rolled her eyes.

"Guys, I know I'm clumsy. When I went to go pick up the Quidditch flyer, the guy handing them out even asked me if I was sure about trying out, because he didn't want me to hurt myself."

Maya took a mental note to hunt down "the guy" later and threaten him with her fists if he ever talked like that to Riley again.

Even though that was incredibly hypocritical considering the fact that Maya and Lucas had done exactly what "the guy" was guilty of, except more roundabout and a lot more awkward.

"So... you're not mad that we don't think you should try out because you're clumsy?" Maya felt like she was poking a charging bear that had inexplicably decided to stop charging.

"Well, of course I'm upset. You're my best friend and you're my boyfriend. I was expecting more support from the pair of you." That was emphasized with a glare.

"But I know you're just concerned about my safety. I get it. It's like how I discourage Maya from reaching for objects on high shelves."

"Okay, I'm not that short—"

"However, I'm still going to try out for Quidditch. I just have this feeling that... I don't know... I was born to do this. You ever get that?"

Maya smirked. "Ahhh, yes. I think Lucas can attest to feeling that way about his, ah, southern bull riding, hmm?"

Lucas raised his eyebrows. "Of course. Just like I know that Maya meets her destiny every time she doesn't have to duck through the Gryffindor Common Room entrance, right?"

"Or how whenever Lucas sees a sheep—"

"Guys, stop already!"

Maya forced herself to wipe the competitive sneer off of her face and aimed a smile at Riley. "Sorry, Riles. You were saying?"

"I was saying that I'm going to try out for Quidditch whether you guys want me to or not. I hope at least one of you will join me, this is more at Lucas than at Maya, but either way I'm following in my father's footsteps and winning the Quidditch Championship for Hufflepuff once and for all!"

Hopefully Riley wasn't holding onto that dream too tightly. The last time Hufflepuff won a Quidditch Championship was... well... Maya actually couldn't think of any occasions where they'd won. To be fair, she didn't know all that much about Quidditch, having only had her basic broom class from first year and the occasional story from Riley and Farkle to inform her.

But either way, Hufflepuff definitely hadn't won in recent history.

 _That's because in recent history, the only house that has been winning Quidditch is Gryffindor._

 _My house._

For just a second, Maya entertained the idea of attending Quidditch tryouts. Somehow making the team. Celebrating yet another Gryffindor victory, only this time as one of the key players.

What would it feel like to be in the spotlight, even for just that second? To be a champion?

Yeah, no.

Maya had never played sports; never even thought about sports, really. And besides— if all the players were the Lucas Friar type, as in tall, well-built, and fast, she wouldn't stand a chance against any of them, even with a team to support her.

It was a paper airplane dream. Fun to fly, but never really going anywhere.

"-ffindor tryouts will be the day after Hufflepuff tryouts, so we can practice together if you want. You took broom lessons over the summer, didn't you?"

Maya realized that Lucas and Riley had continued the conversation without her. They were holding hands across the table (uh, yuck) and smiling at each other in the dopey way that TV drama couples always did.

Double yuck.

"Yeah," Riley started playing with his fingers. Maya started to look around for the nearest trashcan to vomit into. "My dad took my little brother and I to this fancy shmancy Quidditch field off of Manhattan, and showed us a couple of tricks. I could teach you!"

Lucas gave his girlfriend's hand a squeeze, before letting go and sitting back in his chair. Maya let out a breath of relief. "Alright, great! So, wanna start tomorrow?"

Riley beamed. "Sounds good!" She pushed her chair out and grabbed the flyer from its spot on the table, and Maya noticed that a relatively thick stack of essay papers lay underneath. Riley gathered up the papers, rolled them into a neat scroll, and then turned to her friends. "Okay, so I came over here en route to turn in a Charms assignment, so I gotta go now. See you guys later!" With that, she bounced off, dark hair flying behind her shoulders.

An awkward silence prevailed after Riley's dramatic exit.

Maya finally gave in and looked at Lucas. "Well."

Lucas shrugged. "If we can't change her mind, we might as well help her out, right?"

Maya raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're good enough at Quidditch to keep her from killing herself?"

"Hey," He raised both eyebrows. "Says the girl who isn't even trying out."

"...yeah, well, we can't all be sports stars, Mr. Muggle-baseball champ."

The pause between his retort and her reply must have been just a bit too long, because Lucas' forehead wrinkled just slightly. Suspicion.

"...do you want to play Quidditch?"

Maya stiffened. "No! Of course not. Why in the world would I want to ride a household utensil five hundred feet into the air while giant metal balls fly at my face?" She didn't meet his gaze when he stared at her.

"Um, I don't know, because it's fun?"

"Your idea of fun must be very different from mine. End of conversation." Maya grabbed one of the textbooks on the table (Farkle had left all of his homework after his hasty retreat) and cracked it open. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a, uh..." She quickly glanced at the book. "...Potions paper to finish."

The blonde buried her head in the tome, effectively giving him the cold shoulder. Five seconds passed, in which there was no scrape of chair legs as he pushed away from the table, nor whoosh of air as he swung his bag over his shoulder and walked away. Maya frowned and looked up.

Lucas was grinning an infuriating grin at her.

"Spit it out, Hee Haw. What do you want?" Her voice came out sharp, with a hint too much hostility.

It only made his smile wider.

"I think..." Lucas spoke in a slow drawl, as if savoring this moment where his victory over Maya in their Battle of the Witty Repertoire was imminent and uncontested, "...that you really, really want to try out for Quidditch."

She let out a huff. "No, I do not. Was I not clear enough earlier?"

"Hmm, let's see..." Lucas ignored her, his train of thought on a quick and, to Maya, dangerous roll. "You went to all of the Gryffindor Quidditch games last year— I know because I was there with you, don't argue— and Farkle lent you his History of Quidditch volume about a month ago, which you have yet to return. Whenever Riley goes off on one of her spiels, you completely zone out... unless she starts talking about Quidditch. You were number one in Broom Flight Class— oh don't give me that look, Madame Hooch was practically in love with you— and I know you've been saving up to buy your own broomstick since Riley's spied in your room before... uh, forget you heard that last part..."

She stared at him. Damn, the cowboy was more observant than she gave him credit for. Did he pay special attention to her or something?

...that was a stupid and silly and very, very impossible idea.

She was going to forget she ever thought that.

Although she wasn't going to forget the fact that Riley had been going through her room, carefully enough to find her hidden Spare Change jar (on which she'd drawn the silhouette of a witch riding on a broomstick— which, now that she thought about it, had been very idiotic of her).

"So... do you or do you not want to ride a household utensil five hundred feet into the air and dodge flying metal balls?"

Considering all of the little pieces of evidence he'd just stated clearly suggesting that she did...

Maya's lips twisted into a wry grimace. "Well played, Sundance. Well played."

He gave her a tip of his imaginary cowboy hat.

She sighed. "Okay, so Quidditch sounds kinda interesting. But that doesn't mean I'm actually gonna do it-"

"Maya, there's nothing stopping you from trying out for the Gryffindor team. Madame Hooch probably remembers you from broom class, and I'm sure she'd put in a good word for you with whoever is currently team captain."

"Lucas. I am a tiny blonde girl with no athletic background whatsoever. Do you honestly think I'd survive a minute on the Quidditch field without being run over by some hunk, or whacked senseless by one of the balls?"

"Uh, actually, I think you'd be fine. Your size means you're a smaller and faster target. Sure, if you get hit, it'd be bad, but you'd be pretty darn hard to hit."

Maya blinked at him. "Was that a compliment?"

"Analysis. There's a difference."

"Sure."

"So?"

"So what?"

"Are you gonna go to tryouts?"

"No. I'm not suicidal."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

" _Yes_."

"No!"

"YES."

"NO."

"No."

"Ye— urggghhh! Maybe, okay?! Happy?"

Lucas gave her one of his trademark easy going smiles, all sunshine and bright eyes and flashing white teeth. He pushed out his chair and braced his arms on the table between them.

His gaze bore into hers as he gave her his single-word reply.

"Very."


End file.
